


Arabella II.

by Alonia143



Series: The Arabella Series [2]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Child Frodo Baggins, Dwobbit Frodo Baggins, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-28
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-12 19:31:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 26,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9086989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alonia143/pseuds/Alonia143
Summary: Thorin was at her door step, with Balin and a couple royal guards behind him. Just what will happen now to Thorin and Arabella? Let alone, their son, Frodo Baggins. READ Arabella's Secret FIRST! Please read and review, Thank you!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> I know that I shouldn’t be writing another fic but, I can’t help it. This is a company to Arabella’s Secret. If you haven’t read it, I highly suggest that you do or this chapter will not make sense What-So-Ever. 
> 
> If I don’t update in a standard time, I’m dealing with family issues. The updates, whenever they are, is my way of relieving tension and just wanting to “escape” for a little while.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do NOT own Tolkien’s work, character(s) or plot. I am not making any money from this Fanfiction. 
> 
> Please read and review (After you have read Arabella’s Secret FIRST!) Thank you.

**_ Chapter 1: Confusion. _ **

 

She didn’t want to believe what her eyes were showing her. How could she? After everything that had happened between the two of them? On the quest, to reclaim Erebor?

 

So why was King Thorin Oakenshield, Balin and Dwalin sons of Fudin, with 2 other guards behind him, standing at Arabella’s door step?

 

“What are you doing here?” she asked out to them.

 

Swallowing hard, Thorin gathered his courage and replied back “To see if we can make this relationship work,”

 

“And what gives you the idea that I want one now?” Arabella answered back, not believing him at all.

 

“Well your highness,” Balin then stepped in.

 

However, he didn’t get to say anything past that when Arabella heard “Mama! Mama! Look what I have founded in the back garden!”

 

She turned and saw her only son, Frodo Baggins, running down the steps and then pushing his way through to show his mother that he had in fact founded a little frog. Arabella would have scolded her son on pushing through other people but, in this case, she didn’t want to scold him.

 

“Oh Frodo, you know that he won’t survive in the house,” Arabella softly told him.

 

“He wouldn’t? Why not?” he asked in surprised.

 

“Because frogs need water and not just house water, but a pond and grass. That is their home, love,” she replied, looking at the big eyed fast beating frog.

 

“Oh. Will you help me put him back?” Frodo asked her with pleading puppy blue eyes.

 

“Of course. Come on,” She told him, closing the front door and leaving the stunned dwarves behind.

 

She didn’t care if she was rude to them; she was first and foremost a mother. And her son came above anything and everything else.

 

“I think, Thorin… we need to regroup at the uhm…Green Dragon pub,” Balin whispered low, watching Mother and son walk further and further away.

 

“Was that…” Dwalin began to ask Thorin confused.

 

“No, we follow them,” Thorin told him, walking out of the front yard, down the lane and towards wherever Arabella and their son were going.

 

Close to the bridge entering the market, down the fishing hobbit Smials, Arabella and Frodo gently put Mr. Frog back “home”.

 

“See, there are his friends, family and possible mate. Now, let’s wash our hands in the pond and then go back our own home,” Arabella said, washing their hands carefully around the pond and getting back up.

 

Arabella sighed as she saw Thorin and they still here, but back up the lane.

 

“Mama? Who are they?” Frodo asked curiously at the dwarves up the lane.

 

“Frodo, remember me telling you that your father was away and that no one around here will welcome him kindly?” Arabella asked him instead.

 

“Yes?” he replied confusedly.

 

“He’s here to talk me about something. But was interrupted by Mr. Frog. Want to go up and say hi to him?” Arabella said, gently kneeling before him.

 

Frodo bashfully looked at the ground and moved his foot back and forth.

 

“Maybe…but what if he doesn’t like me?” he asked.

 

“Oh he will love you because you’re his only son in this whole world and I bet he would love to have a hug with you. Also, you can tell him about Mr. Frog,” Arabella replied, smiling a little.

 

Frodo nodded shyly and then walked up the lane.

 

Thorin couldn’t believe that Arabella would let their son walk by himself. He had to be around 4 or so.

 

Frodo shyly walked up to Thorin who knelt down on the ground. Thorin could easily see the Durin bloodline within Frodo’s facial features, but when it came to his eyes and black curly hair that was all from Arabella.

 

“Hello,” Frodo shyly greeted his father, holding his hands nervously together.

 

“Hello, who are you?” Thorin asked him curiously.

 

“I’m Frodo Baggins. My mama said that you’re my papa. Is that true?” Frodo asked, looking at the ground shyly.

 

Balin couldn’t help the soft smile on his face, his brother, put his axe on the ground and looked over the hills; smiling too.

 

Thorin swallowed and then said “I am and hope to be. Where is Mr. Frog?”

 

“He’s back with his family, where he belongs. Will you join us for lunch?” Frodo replied, looking up into his father’s eyes.

 

“If your mother approves of it, then we will. But I am Thorin Oakenshield, Frodo,” Thorin answered him, holding out his large index finger.

 

Giggling, Frodo took it and shook it softly. Thorin chuckled too because it was a bit silly, but to a 4 year old, that was big.

 

Very gently, Thorin picked Frodo up and held him close on his hip; his blue eyes looked over at the hobbit woman before him. He walked over and did something that no one thought a king would do: he bowed to his queen.

 

“Is it alright, Arabella Baggins, that my company and I have lunch with you and Frodo?” Thorin asked, trying to be formal now.

 

With a roll of her eyes she said “Yes, but why the sudden change?”

 

Thorin looked up and then replied “What do you mean? I came here hoping that we could-”

 

“That is for another time. I’m about to go to war with one of my least favorite family members,” She cut him off, looking past him.

 

Turning to what caught her attention; Thorin saw more hobbits slowly coming to the bridge. They looked frightened of his dwarrows being there, but one with a sour lemon face marched right up to them.

 

“What is this all about Arabella? And who are these horrendous people! Hobbiton doesn’t need this kind of filth around these parts. They will taint this part of the earth!” Lobelia screeched.

 

“Why I-”

 

“Dwalin, I got this,” Arabella cut him off.

 

Lobelia gave a squint glare but, Thorin and his dwarrows, it was nearly a smile.

 

“Honestly Lobelia, do you always cause such havoc over nothing but thin air? What does it matter that these dwarves are in Hobbiton?” Arabella asked back.

 

“I still say that you shouldn’t have come back,” Lobelia calmly replied to her.

 

“Oh? So that you would get my parents home? Why doesn’t your husband build you a large smial? Does he know how to build one?” Arabella played along right back.

 

“How dare you,” Lobelia snarled low.

 

“Oh? How about you keep your nasty snide remarks to yourself. Anyone is welcome to Hobbiton!” Arabella said loudly.

 

It echoed into the quiet market as the residents looked on.

 

“You and your family are-”

 

“What? A Disgrace? Have you forgotten the times when our people were wandering around? Looking for our own place to call home? Are you that ignorant of a hobbit to forgotten our own history?” Arabella snapped back.

 

Frodo hugged Thorin because he only ever saw his mother so livid was with Lobelia. Gently rubbing his back to comfort him, Thorin listened on.

 

A collective gasped rippled throughout the market.

 

“I am not-”

 

“All hobbits are from those that wandered around. So you would smear at their hard work of securing a home for all us now?” Arabella continued to argue with Lobelia.

 

Lobelia looked pale, mouth opening and closing like a fish and glancing around for help.

 

It wasn’t unheard of that Lobelia and Arabella had always been at odds with one another, but to hear the true history of their people. It was very clear, right then to the other hobbits: the late Belladonna Baggins had taught her daughter well.

 

“As I said, Lobelia, get your husband to build your own smial. That one,” Arabella pointed to her own home “is mine as it has been passed down from my parents to me. If you don’t think I should get it, than please review their last will and testament,”

 

“Then tell me, why are these-”

 

“They are my family. Two are friends of the King of Erebor. The King of Erebor is my husband, the father of Frodo Baggins,” Arabella snarled, hating for what she just put Frodo in.

 

Another collective gasped ripped through Hobbiton’s Market. Lobelia herself looked at the one who was holding Frodo and snorted.

 

Arabella, heavily sighing with this petty argument with Lobelia but turned around and pulled Thorin away from the bridge. A lot of whispers and murmurs trickled a lot throughout the market place.

 

“Mama?” Frodo asked her as she gently took him into her arms.

 

“I am sorry Frodo. For putting you in that but, I will be true to my word,” she said to them all.

 

“And that would be?” Balin asked her curiously.

 

“I will marry Thorin,” Arabella answered, walking back up to her home.

 

The other dwarves stopped and looked after her in shock.

 

“What?” Thorin asked not truly understanding what she said.

 

Arabella continued to walk up to her home, gently putting Frodo down as he walked with her.

 

Pretty soon the dwarves caught up to her in a rush; rumbling some of the hobbit Smials but they needed answers.

 

“Arabella, what do you mean?” Dwalin asked her.

 

She got her front door opened, before stopping; thinking.

 

“You said that you wanted this relationship to work, correct?” she asked Thorin as he walked up the steps.

 

“Yes I do,” Thorin answered, standing right behind her.

 

Her eyes were far away, her mind thinking faster than light and then walked further into her home.

 

Frodo looked between his mother and father.

 

“Ara?” Thorin asked her curiously.

 

“Come in, I need to write some paper work,” she told him, somewhere further into the maze of her home.

 

The dwarves walked into her home and closed the front door.

 

“Balin, what do we do now?” Thorin whispered low to his friend as they walked into the front parlor.

 

“Well laddie,” Balin began, looking around thoughtfully “We all knew that coming to see Arabella would be a challenge and we also knew that she wouldn’t agree to anything that we have to say. Now that you have a son involved and how everyone here, except maybe her neighbors; the Gamgee Family, doesn’t take to kindly to the fact that she is alive and knows every kind of law to make people think…”

 

Thorin and Dwalin listened carefully to him.

 

“We abide to her terms,” Balin finished, looking past the two.

 

Thorin and Dwalin followed his line of sight and found Frodo standing shyly near the doorway.

 

“Hello Frodo,” Balin greeted him warmly, smiling too.

 

“H-Hello,” he softly replied back.

 

“May I introduce myself?” Balin asked him.

 

“You may,” He said, looking at the ground and blushing a bit.

 

“I am Balin, son of Fundin and this here is my younger brother, Dwalin, also son of Fundin,” Balin said, then bowing out of respect to Frodo.

 

Frodo giggled a little at this.

 

“We are here to see if we can get into your mother’s good graces,” Dwalin told him.

 

“Why? She’s not very happy at the moment,” Frodo said, looking at Dwalin now.

 

“I can gather that, lad. But uh, maybe you can help us out? You see, your father here, Thorin, is willing to do anything to get your mother back,” Balin told him.

 

“Why did you leave us?” Frodo asked Thorin curiously.

 

And just like someone sucking all of the air out of the room, Thorin swallowed thickly.

 

“I did something very bad to your mother, Frodo and she had every right to not get in contact with me. For you see, I had asked a friend of hers to help me and my kin out on reclaiming our homeland: Erebor. It was a long and dangerous quest. Has your mother-?”

 

“About you and the dragon!” Frodo exclaimed excitedly.

 

“I guess that answers that,” Dwalin chuckled.

 

“Well she only tells me the funny stuff; the trolls, the dragon, a bit of the battle that she was in but that is it,” Frodo corrected him.

 

Balin nodded and said “Just enough to make any young lad excited before bedtime,”

 

Frodo nodded smiling, walking over to them more.

 

“It didn’t end to well with me and your mother and I didn’t know that she was pregnant with you,” Thorin continued on, kneeling down to his son’s height.

 

“Oh. But why did you hurt her?” Frodo asked, looking into his father’s eyes.

 

Sighing heavily once more, Thorin then replied “That is very difficult to explain to you right now but what I can tell you, is that I wasn’t myself and I had hurt her when she was just trying to save us all from danger,”

 

Frodo thought that over, nodding.

 

“Frodo?” they heard down the hallway.

 

“Yes Mama?” he replied, walking towards her.

 

Thorin was a little relieved for the break.

 

“He will ask more when he gets older,” Balin warned him.

 

“I know, but for now, that is all he needs,” Thorin replied back.

 

“YAAY!!” they all heard from the office area in the home.

 

“What’s he excited about now?” Dwalin asked looking over at Thorin.

 

He shrugged but, looked at the doorway when hurried little feet scampered their way.

 

Frodo ran into the room and said excitedly “We get to go see uncle Drogo and Aunt Primula!”

 

“Frodo,” His mother appeared smiling at her excited little fauntling.

 

He stopped and looked at her.

 

“Calm down. They won’t be here until tomorrow afternoon,” She told him, giggling.

 

“Oh. Well I still get to see them,” he said walking up to her.

 

“Yes, now how about you go and pick out a recipe for tonight’s dinner,” she replied, kissing his forehead and he scampered off once more.

 

“Full of energy that one,” Dwalin said smiling.

 

Arabella looked up at them and then whispered low “I know that you would like to work things out between us, Thorin…”

 

“But,” he pressed for more.

 

“But, what about Frodo? He will start to ask more and more of us,” she worriedly told him.

 

“I think, Ara, we can tell him whenever the time is right for him to understand and my queen, one step at a time,” he replied back to her.

 

“I am not a queen,” she instinctively replied back.

 

No one said anything to that; Balin, Dwalin and Thorin all knew that she would say that to get it off of her mind.

 

“Let me show you what I once was,” Thorin whispered low to her.

 

“So that you can hurt-?”

 

“Ara, it’s not an excuse but, the gold and the Arkenstone were playing with my mind. I know I can never earn all of your trust, but, can I at least try?” Thorin interrupted her softly.

 

“You hurt me very badly, Thorin. Please understand that you almost cost Frodo his life as well,” was all she told him, walking out of the front parlor.

 

Thorin was pale. They all were at her lingering words.

 

“Mama? Can we try this one?” Frodo’s light excited voice floated to them.

 

“Oh, are you sure? Let me see if we have the right stuff,” Arabella’s voice then replied back.

 

“Balin? What is the correct punishment for nearly harming a pregnant woman?” Thorin asked in a hushed whispered.

 

Balin gave a soft glare and said “No. You will make it up to Arabella, in the old ways. Let her and Frodo come to you. You are on their terms Thorin and I will not see _the King under the Mountain_ , be killed. Now let’s go and help our friends, Dwalin. You two, remain here and make sure that Thorin doesn’t do anything to himself,”

 

Balin and Dwalin walked out of the room. Thorin walked over and sat down in one of the chairs and heavily sighed.

 

“What am I to do?” he whispered to himself, his hand rubbing the temples of his forehead.

 

Later on that night, the dwarves were able to stay the night with Arabella and Frodo.

 

As Thorin lay awake in his comfortable bed; the same room that he slept in before the quest started the next day, he couldn’t get Arabella’s words out of his mind.

 

Turning over and finding little comfort, Thorin fell asleep with a plan in mind. Just will it work??


	2. Rightful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello Everyone! 
> 
> Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. 
> 
> I don’t know if this story will follow the storyline of the Lord of the Rings or not. I just hope that when or after these characters get to Erebor (and I can have some time to properly think) I can go from there. 
> 
> Anyway, please read and review, thank you!  
> Alonia143.

**_ Chapter 2: Rightful. _ **

 

Arabella looked at the food try before her. She didn’t understand what Thorin was doing.

 

“I made them with Frodo’s help,” Thorin nervously said to her.

 

What Thorin had made was a hobbit breakfast. What that contained of was golden hash browns, dark cooked sausages, crispy fried bacon, 4 cooked eggs with the same amount of buttery warm toast and a cup of tea.

 

She eyed the flowers in the vase and wondered if Thorin knew the meaning behind them.

 

Very carefully, she took her fork and began to eat her breakfast.

 

Thorin watched anxiously as she ate nearly all of it.

 

“This is very good, Thorin. Thank you,” she told him after wiping her mouth on her napkin.

 

Sighing with relief Thorin then replied “You’re welcome. Frodo had woke me up with stating that he had nightmare. He wouldn’t go back to sleep right away, so I had made some warm milk with honey. It was very early or late, so I had some time to ask him on what you liked for breakfast,”

 

She looked over at Thorin with worry.

 

“He’s asleep now, in his bed. It is very early out,” he tried to quell her worry.

 

“I hope that he wouldn’t get anymore, but he is still growing,” she replied, relaxing against her pillows.

 

Thorin wished that he was holding her in his arms instead of waiting by the door.

 

“Are the others up?” she asked Thorin curiously.

 

“Not yet. They will be soon,” he answered her.

 

“May I ask you something, before you go?” She said, looking at him.

 

He nodded silently.

 

“Where did you get these flowers? And how could you see them in the dark?” she asked him curiously.

 

“I brought along a lamp to see,” he blushed at his answer.

 

She smiled and then said “Thank you for them. They look and smell wonderfully,”

 

“I’m glad that you liked them,” he replied and then bowed before walking away.

 

Arabella gazed upon Begonia, Camellia, white carnations, Jasmine, Lilac, lots of Peony’s, Roses that were red, red and white. There were also lots of Tulips of red, purple, white, violet and yellow. Sprinkled around was also Holly.

 

Anyone would know that all of those flowers meant: Deep thoughts, graciousness, remembrance, grace and elegance, first love, healing, passionate love, unity, purity, declaration of love, royalty, forgiveness, faithfulness, hopelessly in love and domestic happiness.

 

Arabella sighed. This was a lot to take in.

 

Meanwhile, out in the kitchen, Thorin was eating his meal that he had made.

 

Balin was sipping his morning tea next to his friend and king.

 

“How did she take to the flowers?” he asked Thorin.

 

“I think I surprised her. I mean, I hope she got what I am trying to tell her,” Thorin replied, blushing a bit.

 

“Don’t worry laddie, she did. She’s a hobbit and it’s a good thing that I took this flower book with us. She left it behind in Erebor,” Balin explained to Thorin.

 

“She left a lot of things behind but, I don’t want her to come to Erebor because of the fact that she has to. I want her to come with us on her own free will,” Thorin explained more.

 

“I know. But, after she eats, I want you to take care of Frodo. She may not at first, because Frodo is her only child, but after some minutes, she will,” Balin told his old “student”.

 

Thorin nodded and then said softly “I have a son, Balin. What does that leave Fili and Kili? They and everyone else; including my sister, will be over the moon on Frodo,”

 

“By rule, Frodo will get the crown, but, you can say that Fili is older than Frodo and has been in training for it a lot longer than Frodo. But, you know just as well as I, the council would want Frodo on the throne instead of Fili. However, Arabella would voice that she doesn’t want Frodo near that thing. She voiced it to me before the battle,” Balin expressed, sipping his tea at the end.

 

Thorin nodded and then said “I wouldn’t blame her if she put her foot down on that part. After she eats, what do I do for-?”

 

“I will make some more breakfast for everyone else. Now, a little check up on Arabella wouldn’t hurt,” Balin cut in, smiling.

 

Thorin chuckled low as he got up and walked back to her bedroom. Somehow, Balin had gotten Thorin’s parents together too.

 

Thorin walked into the bedroom after knocking and looked around as he saw that the breakfast tray was empty. The vase that the flowers were in was also missing but, over on the dresser.

 

_‘At least she didn’t throw them out,’_ Thorin thought to himself.

 

“Arabella?” He asked softly, not wanting to wake up Frodo just yet.

 

“Bathroom,” she said nervously.

 

“Did you like your breakfast?” Thorin asked, just standing near the door.

 

“Yes I did, thank you,” she replied, still sounding nervous.

 

“Would you like me to take it to the kitchen?” he asked her next.

 

“Please!” she hurriedly told him.

 

Then it clicked for Thorin as he gently took the food tray and walked back to the kitchen, after he closed the bedroom door of course.

 

Walking back into the kitchen he saw that the guardsmen were up and sipping their hot cups of tea.

 

“I take it she liked it?” Balin teased Thorin when he put the extra food in a bin and then the plate and fork in the sink.

 

“Yes, though uh…I wouldn’t go into her bedroom right now,” he warned the others.

 

“No offense, your majesty, but why would we go into the queen’s private quarters without asking?” one of the guards said back.

 

“None taken and I know,” Thorin had told him.

 

“AAAH!!!” they all heard Dwalin roar.

 

“Oh no,” Thorin said, hurrying down the hallway and into Dwalin’s bedroom.

 

What greeted him was the sight of Frodo bouncing up and down, giggling.

 

“Come on Papa! Wake up!” Frodo excitedly exclaimed.

 

“Get this little monster off of me!” Dwalin pleaded to Thorin.

 

“Frodo, halt!” Thorin told his energetic son.

 

Frodo did and somehow shrunk down. Thorin walked over and picked him up gently, then put his son on the ground.

 

“What were you doing?” Thorin asked him curiously.

 

“I thought it was you,” Frodo said, looking at the ground.

 

Heavily sighing, Thorin then picked his boy back up and held him close. From the bedroom door, Arabella continued to look on.

 

“I was already up, remember?” Thorin told him, gently rubbing his back.

 

Frodo nodded as he then leaned against Thorin. Thorin smiled and walked out of the room to leave a very grumpy stink face Dwalin behind.

 

When they reentered the kitchen, Balin smiled at Frodo.

 

“Good morning, Prince Frodo,” Balin greeted him.

 

“He is no prince,” Arabella stated firmly.

 

“Oh, I am sorry,” He told her, but there was a twinkle in his eyes.

 

Thorin knew _exactly_ what Balin was doing and only he could get away with it.

 

“Frodo is NOT going anywhere near that throne. I’ve already seen what it can do to nearly two dwarves of the royal family. I won’t let him near it,” Arabella hissed, gently taking Frodo from Thorin’s arms.

 

Thorin glared at Balin a bit but, the old dwarf let it all happen. She then put Frodo down as he walked over to Dwalin.

 

“Understandable, Arabella, but, the kingdom will have to know of Frodo,” Balin stated to her calmly.

 

“No, they won’t. They will know he is my adoptive son,” she argued back.

 

“Ara, that will only confuse things even more,” Thorin said, knowing that will just lead to one big mess in the future.

 

“Then, Thorin Oakenshield, how do I keep my son away from that horrid place!” she snarled at him.

 

Keeping his anger in check, Thorin then stated back “Fili and Kili are my heirs. They were born nearly 100 years ago. There is a rule that states that if there is another child that is born within 100 years, that the child won’t take the throne, no matter if it he or she is blood related,”

 

“And you’re sure that Frodo won’t? Arabella asked him, wanting to know this entire rule.

 

“In desperate times, Bella,” Balin answered her “only then does that rule come into effect. If there is no other heir, then and only then, would Frodo ever take the Throne of the King,”

 

She thought on this and then asked “But if he isn’t announced Thorin’s son?”

 

“Then the next blood relative will take the throne, which would be Dain Ironfoot,” Balin supplied.

 

Arabella had a lot of thinking to do. True she didn’t ever want Frodo to be near that horrid thing but, who was she to deny his rightful place? She glanced over at Frodo who was giggling and smiling at whatever Dwalin was doing.

 

“Thorin?” She asked but stopped.

 

“When we go back to Erebor, I will do what I can to not make-”

 

“No, it’s just…a lot to take in at the moment. I can’t deny Frodo the throne, but I don’t want him to succumb to what uh…knowledge that there is on your family,” she interrupted him.

 

He nodded and then said “You have time. I’m not rushing you to give me an answer right this second. But it would make things a lot easier for Frodo. Now, don’t you have to get ready for your family member to come by?”

 

She gasped as she remembered that Primula was coming by.

 

“What can we do to uh…stay out of the way?” Balin asked her kindly.

 

“Ask Frodo to take you guys out on a walk to the creek. It will be just the amount of time that I need to talk to my cousins,” Arabella answered him.

 

“I’m leaving one of the guards here. He will be outside in the front yard. I don’t think Frodo will get into too much trouble while we’re at the creek,” Thorin said, knowing that Arabella can take care of herself.

 

“Alright,” she agreed to that.

 

After Frodo had something to eat, got changed and dragged Thorin, Balin and Dwalin out the door, Arabella heavily sighed.

 

She got to work on making some fresh muffins and when she heard a knock on the door, she walked to the front of the smial to get it.

 

“Hello Primula, Drogo!” she greeted them smiling.

 

“Hello cousin,” Drogo replied back, hugging her.

 

“Arabella, is that a ….dwarf?” Prim asked her curiously.

 

“Yes, he is one of the guards that Thorin insisted to remain behind,” Ara told her, gently closing the door.

 

“Where is Frodo?” Drogo asked curiously.

 

“With his father down at the creek,” Ara said, walking back to the kitchen and handed out steamy muffins.

 

“The same dwarf who nearly killed the two of you? Arabella Baggins are you truly mad?” Primula hissed at her.

 

“No, just that Thorin too has a right to see his only son,” Arabella said, sitting down at the wooden table.

 

Drogo nodded and then asked “Are you leaving us?”

 

“I haven’t had that much time to think about it, but I am marrying Thorin. I declared very publically yesterday, that Thorin is my husband. Even though I don’t like the illness that is upon in Thorin’s family, I can’t deny Frodo’s other heritage: Dwarf,” She expressed to them both.

 

“Give it a week. That should get things in order and hopefully, if you do leave, it will be for something good,” Prim told her, Drogo took a bite of his muffin.

 

“I’m leaving the deed of Bag-End, to you two,” Arabella dropped the bomb shell on them.

 

Drogo started to cough and Prim rubbing his back as he looked up at his cousin.

 

“You two are the only ones that I trust fully, that this will continue in what my parents had wanted: a cozy home with family within it. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins isn’t that,” Arabella said, gently getting the deed out.

 

There was another knock and she walked to the door.

 

“Hello Miss Arabella,” Hamfast Gamgee greeted her.

 

“Hello Hamfast, come in,” she told him smiling.

 

“Alright. Do you know that uh…dwarf is outside your door? Sitting on your bench?” Hamfast asked curiously.

 

“Yes, it is from my husband, King Thorin Oakenshield. He and his advisors are here. I don’t mind that they are here, Hamfast. However I would like for you to come with me,” she told him, gently showing him the Deed of Bag-End.

 

He nodded and they walked back to the kitchen.

 

“Hello Hamfast,” Primula greeted him smiling too.

 

“Hello Mrs. Primula, Mr. Drogo sir. How’s today going for you two?” Hamfast greeted them back after he took off his hat.

 

“Going well. Want a muffin? Arabella made them, fresh,” Drogo replied, holing up a plate for him.

 

“Is it alright, Miss Arabella?”

 

“Of course, that is why I made them,”

 

“Thank you Miss,” Hamfast said and took one.

 

After everyone was ready and full of muffins, Arabella got down to business.

 

“Now, the reason why Hamfast, that you are here, is because I want you to sign the witness area just here with the date and time. After that, Drogo, Prim, you sign here were my name was signed after my mother’s passing. After that I will sign as well with a letter for in case Lobelia or anyone else wants to go to the Thain,” Arabella instructed them, handing over a quill and ink bottle.

 

They all signed in that order. Arabella knew that she had no time to “think things over” when it came to what happened yesterday.

 

“I am going to terribly miss you, Miss Arabella,” Hamfast said, knowing exactly what was taking place.

 

“I am too. But maybe, Hamfast, you can strike a trade with Thorin? There are farm lands up near Erebor and Dale that probably need all the help that they can get and you can sell your home made brew, but never giving out the recipe,” Arabella slyly put in.

 

“I don’t know about that, Miss Arabella. Giving out my home made brew? It would go bad before it reaches to those places,” Hamfast said to her.

 

“Well you can put it in barrels. That’s how the ale and wine is transferred from Mirkwood to Dale and Erebor. Just a thought,” she replied with a shrug of her shoulder.

 

Primula and Drogo just shook their heads at their sly cousin.

 

“I will think about but, when do you leave for this….Erebor?” Hamfast asked her curiously.

 

“Probably soon. I will write a letter to Thorin’s sister, Lady Dis, since she lives in the Blue Mountains with her youngest son, Kili. He’s getting his training on how to be a prince there. Maybe when they are traveling to Erebor, they can come and pick up my belongings?” she said, thinking it over.

 

“They live that close or far from here?” Drogo asked curious now.

 

“Yes, they do. I have tried to get my uncles to strike up a trade with them but, they will not ever agree to one. Maybe things will change,” she replied, knowing that it will never happen.

 

“Maybe,” was all Hamfast said, thinking this over.

 

After Arabella had signed the Deed over to Primula and Drogo, she suddenly felt lighter.

 

“I still cannot believe that you would do that!” They heard from out front.

 

“He wanted me in the creek, so I went INTO THE CREEK!” Dwalin roared back.

 

“I think out the back door would be good,” Arabella told her family and friend.

 

They nodded in agreement and just as Thorin, Balin, Dwalin and Frodo stepped into the front area of the smial, Primula, Drogo and Hamfast slipped out the back.

 

Arabella rounded the corner and then snapped “Stop right there, the four of you!”

 

From her stand point, she saw very muddy; head to foot, Dwalin, knee deep in mud Thorin and a very clean Balin. Frodo however was wet, dirty and shivering from the cold.

 

“Dwalin, outside to get cleaned. And I mean spray the mud off of your clothes, not take them off. Frodo, come here honey. Thorin, change out of your boots before you head to your room,” she ordered them about.

 

Frodo trotted over to his mother as she hurried him into her bedroom, through to the bathroom and get the water heated up for his bath.

 

Balin shook his head as his younger brother and friend all went about their places.

 

 

* * *

 

Later that evening, when everyone was cleaned up, dried, bellies full of whole-some food and was in front of the fireplace, it was peaceful.

 

“Did everything go as you had planned it?” Thorin softly asked his “wife”.

 

“Yes. Prim and Drogo have the deed to Bag-End and Hamfast knows that your sister will stop by whenever she comes to Erebor. Though I did ask if Prim and Drogo don’t kick me out just yet, I still have some things to do,” Ara replied softly back.

 

In her lap was a fast asleep little Frodo. After they had dinner, Dwalin and Balin talked about how the first time that they met Arabella with the company. They discussed of how the other members were throwing her plates and cups and silverware in the air with a catchy song.

 

Well, they repeated it, but this time around, Arabella was smiling and wasn’t having a fuss about it.

 

Thorin stared at her from where he stood near the fireplace.

 

He couldn’t really get his mind wrapped around the fact that Frodo was his son. Sure, he looked like Thorin, had the dominate features of the line of Durin, but Frodo was very shy.

 

Arabella gently shifted her son in her arms, stood up slowly and was about to leave the room when Thorin gently walked up to her.

 

“May I?” he asked in a hushed whisper.

 

She nodded and very carefully, she transferred Frodo into Thorin’s arms. Thorin was shocked at how light Frodo was but walked after Arabella to his son’s bedroom.

 

It was the spare bedroom that he saw across the hallway to her own.

 

Tenderly, Thorin gently rested Frodo’s sleeping body on his bed with the covers pulled back. Tucking him in, he burrowed into his pillow as Thorin softly sighed with relief.

 

His parents left the door open as they left his bedroom.

 

“I want to get to know him more,” Thorin declared suddenly.

 

“I know. I won’t be leaving Hobbiton for some time. The paperwork has to go through and that takes about a month, month and half. And like you said, we’re not in any rush here,” She whispered back.

 

Thorin nodded as he saw that her defenses were gone, then again he also saw that she was tired.

 

“Come on, we can talk some more tomorrow. Go get some rest Ara,” Thorin whispered to her.

 

She smiled a bit and asked “When did you become wise and patient?”

 

“Ha, ha. But even I know when to call it a day,” he replied back, gently guiding her to her bedroom.

 

“But the others?” she protested.

 

“Can easily find the extra bedrooms. Sleep now,” he told her, pushing her softly towards her bed.

 

With a heavy sigh, she nodded and then said “I would like some breakfast and tea tomorrow morning, if I over sleep,”

 

“Alright. Maybe Frodo and I can help make it with Balin’s guidance,” Thorin replied, gently leaned down and kissed her forehead.

 

“Good night Thorin,” Arabella said as he left her bedroom.

 

“Good night Ara,” he replied and shut the door.


	3. Danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for the favorites, follows and reviews. Love hearing from you guys. So don’t be Afraid to leave a review.
> 
> Updates will be SLOW. Don’t worry; I’m taking care of personal stuff.
> 
> Please read and review, thank you.  
> Alonia143.

**_ Chapter 3: Danger. _ **

 

Within a month and half, Thorin and Frodo have become closer. Doing father and son activities that had most of the residents in Hobbiton, nod in approval. The women of Hobbiton would always coo and awe at the two, because Thorin and Frodo were too adorable.

 

When it came to the weapons, Thorin had to ask Arabella on what he should do. She told him to make a wooden sword and let Frodo learn it from that, that way the only harm is just a splinter. It was a good idea and he was thankful that he went to her first.

 

Arabella and Thorin however, were still on thin ice with one another. Rebuilding trust took its own time and dwelt with it in its own terms. Once it is broken, you have to work very hard to regain where the break was at.

 

There were times where Thorin would do romantic things for Arabella and she would in return, make him mostly an all meat meal. They still had a long ways to go before they were at Erebor; before Thorin lost his mind to the gold and dragon sickness, on the quest.

 

Arabella had finished all of the paperwork and Bag-End was Drogo’s and Primula’s now. They also agreed to keep the major furniture until Lady Dis and Prince Kili stopped through the Shire.

 

She was going to miss Bag-End, but she knew that she wasn’t happy here either. Regardless of how she defended her son on being half hobbit and half dwarf, the residents here didn’t like her anymore.

 

It was sad for Arabella to know that her own people didn’t want her, after how many years of saying “Hi! How are you?” or “What have you been up to lately?” or show any kind of love towards her, herself. Labeling her “Mad Baggins” which, tore through her heart.

 

Her eyes gazed one last time at Bag-shot row and softly nudged her pony into a walk. Balin rode beside her as Thorin had Frodo in front of him in his saddle and Dwalin were up front, the other two guards were bringing up the rear.

 

“Will you miss being here?” Balin asked her, knowing how much she did on the quest.

 

“I will miss the memories but it is time for me to move on now,” Arabella replied, “Though I will terribly miss the Gamgee family. They were always there for me and my family,”

 

Balin nodded and stated “They truly enjoyed that feast 3 nights ago,”

 

“Well all hobbits do enjoy a good feast and ale. Plus I have to thank you and the others who welcomed them. I also think it helped open their eyes that you and your people are just nearly the same as we are,” Arabella expressed, nudging her pony into a fast walk since she saw Thorin’s pony trotting fast.

 

Balin and the rear guards kept up with the giggling and squealing happy little Frodo.

 

“Frodo, not so fast!” Arabella warned him.

 

“Aawe!” he complained, but Thorin slowed their pony to a walk again.

 

“Aye,” Balin told her, continuing their conversation.

 

“So since I’m not familiar with how one rules as a king or queen, can you tell me what a queen does?” Bella asked Balin.

 

He smiled at this.

 

“Well the king looks over important matters, like trades, training of the young guards. When it comes to war, it is the King’s job to look after his troop and army. When it comes to the queen, she looks after the people. Now, this area wasn’t meant for Thorin, however he had to pick it up at once after Erebor was lost. So he might be a bit stubborn on letting this one go because he loves his people.

 

Another Queen’s job that he had to pick up was how to handle the money in and out take. This one, you will find that he will not care for, but if he comes around the treasure room, inform the guards there. He learned his lesson the first time, Bella, he won’t be making the same mistake twice. And if he does…Mahal help him,” Balin explained.

 

“Oh yes, Mahal do help him now,” she said a bit loudly.

 

Thorin and Dwalin looked back at her confusedly but she looked down, smiling.

 

Balin chuckled when Thorin leaned over and whispered something to Dwalin. Dwalin himself just looked confused and shrugged his shoulders.

 

“What about parties? Events? Holidays?” Bella asked Balin.

 

“You will get the entire say of how it will look, what foods will be there, who is invited and so forth. You will also have to make rounds on seeing how the people are doing with the market, their trade or job and to greet new comers. If there is any trouble, a guardsman will be there to help out and if things really get out of hand, someone will pull you out of it and let the guards take over. Another thing that you will probably like or dislike is the council meetings that happen once or twice a month. Thorin hates them with a passion,” Balin explained further to her.

 

She chuckled and replied “I can imagine why,”

 

“Also, another thing that he has taken to heart is that the job of the queen looking after their heirs; schooling, training, becoming the next in line to the throne,” Balin said tenderly. “Right now, Kili is in Ered Luin getting the understanding of what happens in a kingdom. Luckily, you won’t be the one who corrects his mistakes, his mother does,”

 

“I just don’t want Frodo anywhere near that horrid place. Anywhere else in Erebor, he is fine; including the forges with his father and 4 other guards. Just not the throne room,” Bella repeated once more “It has gold in it Balin. I _know_ , I checked, while we were looking for the Arkenstone,”

 

Balin swallowed nervously and then said “Excuse me, your Majesty,”

 

She watched him gallop up towards Thorin and requested his attention without Frodo. Dwalin took the young lad who then dropped back to Arabella who took Frodo in her saddle.

 

“Hello Frodo, having fun?” She asked him kissing his forehead.

 

He leaned back and replied “Yes, but why are we going so slow?”

 

Arabella laughed and said “Because, it’s safer this way and we have a long way to go yet to officially be out of the Shire,”

 

Frodo heavily sighed with “Fine,”

 

“You excited to go to Erebor?” She asked him curiously.

 

“Yes. But I will miss the Shire,” he replied softly.

 

“I know you will, I will too. However, you get to know a different city, people, culture. A part of your heritage that I can’t really explain to you, but for you to experience for yourself,” she said to him, watching how Thorin would glance over his shoulder at them.

 

“Aye,” Dwalin agreed to what she had to say.

 

Frodo looked at him and asked “Am I really a Prince?”

 

It was on the third day that Thorin and they were staying in Bag-End, that Arabella and Thorin told Frodo that, he was a prince. And like any young little kid would, Frodo jumped for joy. Who wouldn’t get excited over that they were a Prince or Princess?

 

“Yes, you are, Frodo. And you will soon learn that you will resent wanting to be a Prince,” his mother said, knowing what to do with her son.

 

Dwalin slowly moved away from her as he didn’t want any part of this.

 

“And Dwalin _will be_ your main guardsman,” Bella said loudly.

 

“Oh for the love Durin!” he complained.

 

“If my queen wants you as the main guardsman for Frodo, then so is it, my old friend,” Thorin said from up front smiling.

 

Dwalin grumbled and gave Thorin dirty looks.

 

Frodo chuckled and then asked “Don’t you like me, Mister Dwalin?”

 

“Of course I like you lad, but no jumping on me at the crack of dawn. You will get to jump on your father’s chest for that,” Dwalin replied back.

 

Frodo giggled and then said “But your face was funny looking. Nearly as red as Mama’s prize winning tomatoes,”

 

“Was not,” Dwalin quickly denied it.

 

“Was too! And besides, Mama loves her prized winning tomatoes,” Frodo argued back.

 

A deep blush appeared on Dwalin’s face. Arabella and Thorin were smiling as Balin had the only right to chuckle at his younger brother’s misfortune.

 

The rest of the late morning and well into the afternoon, they continued to ride through the Shire. They had a couple more days to reach Bree. They also took breaks since Frodo was bored out of his mind and his butt was going to go numb from sitting so much.

 

It was on one of their breaks that they had stopped next to a stream.

 

Thorin was next to Arabella, as Balin was teaching Frodo the different types of rocks next to the stream.

 

“Would you like us to stop in at Rivendell? We can, Ara,” Thorin whispered low to her.

 

She stood next to a tree and whispered back “I would like to, but how will you five handle it? Frodo will be over the moon, since I talked so much about Rivendell that it’s almost like a safe haven,”

 

“It almost is and we will handle it like grown dwarves. I would like to strike up a trade with Lord Elrond anyway,” Thorin muttered low.

 

“Like what kind of trade?” she asked, they moved a bit further away from the group for some privacy together.

 

This was the first decent conversation that the two have had without hurting one’s feelings. So far at least.

 

“For my people to rest in his home. A fair trade in food and wine. Along with some advice through letters. He wasn’t at all what I had encountered since he is an elf,” Thorin listed off to her.

 

“He’s half elven, half man, Thorin. He just chooses to be elven and I think he made the right decision in that. However, how did you get through King Thranduil’s kingdom?” Arabella asked.

 

“I kept an old letter from Gandalf and passed through just fine. Might have gotten stern with the woodland elves that were on guard, but, they helped us pass through,”

 

“Mm. Well that will soon change when we get to Erebor. And I would like to have a council meeting of just you, Balin, King Thranduil and I. It needs to be done, Thorin,”

 

“I know, just …why _him_?”

 

“Can you imagine how you would feel if I had died, being tortured by orcs and such, knowing that you had no other proof of me except a present that was supposed to be a merging of peace between Erebor and another neighboring kingdom? How would you feel? I understand that it was wrong for King Thranduil to not come to your aid, but can you blame him after seeing Smaug?” She asked him.

 

Thorin took all of that new information of King Thranduil and thought on it. Arabella had a very good point but, Thorin knew that he would never abandon another kingdom’s cry for help.

 

“If there are any trades, between their kingdom and ours, to flourish, we will have that meeting. And I would like to invite them to dinner. It is time to put the past behind us, Thorin,” She told him next.

 

“No dinner. I already tried that once, it didn’t end well no matter how much I kept my tongue in check,” He answered her, starring into her eyes.

 

Arabella saw the truth there but she then sighed with “We have to try again. Please?”

 

“I can’t Ara,” he told her.

 

“And why not?” she asked, moving a bit closer to him.

 

“Because,” was all Thorin said as he looked away from her.

 

Arabella had a suspicion that something horrible had happened and it wasn’t from Thorin and his kin. She pieced together that if Thorin had to go through that much trouble of finding an old letter from Gandalf, then King Thranduil had cut into Thorin like never before.

 

“Then may I have a lunch with him and him alone?” she asked Thorin, hoping that he would say ‘yes’.

 

“No. It’s not that I am disagreeing with you, on wanting peace. I’m disagreeing that you will be alone for this meeting,” he replied firmly to her.

 

“But I won’t be alone, Thorin. I will have you and Balin there with me,” she stated, unsure of what was actually said between the two.

 

Thorin heavily sighed and then looked up at her with “Unless you can bring Lord Elrond, then I do not mind if he or his kin have dinner,”

 

“You are willing to bring Lord Elrond, half way across Middle-Earth, just to have Dinner?”

 

“Not just that, but also a trade meeting between each of them. So that if King Thranduil gets out of hand, Lord Elrond will be present there to hear it,” Thorin stated with hope.

 

“Thorin, what did King Thranduil say?” Arabella pressed for more.

 

“Mama! Mama!!” they both heard Frodo yell for her.

 

“Another time, I promise,” he told her in a whisper, as their son came running up to them.

 

“Yes, Frodo?” she asked him, seeing him with a smile.

 

“Look! I found this in the stream!” he said excitedly, waving his small little fist around and then brought it down as he uncurled his fingers.

 

“Where’s Balin?” Thorin worriedly asked him.

 

“Right here and we didn’t go into the stream. We were on the banks of it and even then I know they can take a young one from,” Balin said walking hurriedly to them.

 

Arabella looked down at what was in Frodo’s hand. Thorin however, gasped. There like a root growing out of the small rock, was the forever shiny silver, noticeable Mithril.

 

“Balin said that I have found Mithril. The-”

 

“The most valuable metal that us dwarves know. Frodo, where exactly did you find this?” Thorin cut in and looked at his son.

 

“Over here,” he said, taking his father’s hand and walking to where he had found it.

 

It was a small piece mind you, of what Frodo had found. No more than small hair pin would make out of it.

 

“Dwalin! Get a bag!” they all heard from the stream.

 

“Aye!” Dwalin replied and getting just that.

 

“I didn’t think there would be any Mithril here,” Arabella commented to Balin.

 

“I didn’t either, but then again, you simple folk do not mine like us dwarves do,” Balin replied back respectfully.

 

Arabella nodded and then said “I wonder just how much they had found,”

 

“A bagful or more,” Balin stated the obvious.

 

It was more than 1 bag. It was about 6 bags and there was still plenty more from those.

 

“This doesn’t make any sense,” Thorin said, gently putting Frodo on the bank near his mother as Thorin wandered further up stream.

 

“BALIN!” they all heard his shout.

 

Balin ran towards their king as Dwalin stayed put. Arabella had picked up Frodo and held him close.

 

It was quiet after that.

 

“Mama? Is Father alright?” Frodo whimpered.

 

“I don’t know,” she replied rubbing his back to soothe both their fear and worries.

 

Pretty soon they saw a very mournful Balin with a white faced Thorin.

 

After she had put Frodo down, he ran up to them both.

 

“Do not go back up there Frodo,” Thorin warned him, gently taking his hand and walking back to his mother.

 

“We will not discuss it here. The mithril will come with us,” Balin told them all.

 

“Come, we need to get out of here,” Thorin said, ushering them all back on their ponies.

 

Arabella knew that only time would let her know as to what happened. Balin had taken Frodo as they hurried out of that area and fast.

 

When they were nearly half way to Bree, Arabella saw Thorin move his pony closer to her.

 

“Thorin,” she greeted him softly.

 

“What I saw there was something that was close to the battle of Moria. There were mangled bodies of both Dwarves and Men. I believe that was one of the trade merchants from here to Erebor,” Thorin whispered low.

 

“What happened to the bodies?” she asked him curiously.

 

“Balin and I buried them far away from there. That place was no ordinary place to have a picnic or lunch, Arabella. That was a torture camp. Balin had told me only once did our people were killed on the road. And that was back when everyone knew that Erebor was reclaimed,” Thorin gravely explained more.

 

“How long ago?” she asked curiously.

 

“Within surprisingly the first month. Then again, Dain had stated that were stragglers that were left behind for some odd reason, now I know why,” He replied, looking away from her.

 

“Do you know who did it?” she asked horrified, looking behind them.

 

“Bolg and his followers,” Thorin spat, looking behind them as well.

 

No one was following them, no one was chasing after them or anything like before. It was peaceful but weighed on the minds that knew, Middle-Earth was never “safe” to travel alone and if you did, it was because you stayed off of the main road and were a ranger.

 

“I thought he had died?” Arabella asked him.

 

“He did,” Thorin reassured her.

 

For the rest of the afternoon and well into the evening, they had found a nice little area off of the main road to camp. Arabella was listening to what Frodo had to say on his history lesson of the dwarves.

 

Thorin, Balin and Dwalin were whispering low to one another, in Khuzdul so that they wouldn’t alarm Arabella or Frodo. The guardsmen would every now and again speak up but, kept quiet for the most part.

 

A hardy meat stew with bread was served for dinner. The sun was fading as Frodo had talked himself to sleep; Arabella was gently tucked him in close to the fire and next to her blanket.

 

Thorin was watching them both. An unknown fire was burning brightly in his blue eyes. A fire that had awoken him up during his spiraling madness of the gold and dragon sicknesses.

 

Arabella didn’t need to lift her eyes to know that Thorin was watching her and Frodo, she just knew. It was from the quest, how he would try to bore a hole into her head during the night after traveling for so long.

 

Silently she got up after Frodo had fallen into a deep sleep. She walked over to Thorin and sat beside him. Just out of instinct alone, he wrapped his arm around her to keep warm.

 

“How are you?” he has softly asked her, his fingers drawing circles in her shoulder blades.

 

“Tired. It’s a long while before we reach Erebor and I already am feeling this mini quest,” She replied, leaning against him.

 

Thorin chuckled softly and said teasingly, “Aye, but you won’t be the only one who will like to sleep in a comfortable bed again,”

 

“Ha, Ha. I did go on other adventures since the quest,” she countered him.

 

“Mm and were these adventures in or close to Hobbiton?” Thorin teased her more.

 

She smacked his chest “No. I went to Bree, stayed with the rangers for a bit and was close to near where your sister and nephew are,”

 

Thorin smiled and then leaned over close to her ear “I would have loved to see or witness on how you would like that dwarvish city, my queen,”

 

Shivers raced down her back, her heart sped up and her breath was caught somewhere in between of her throat. When Thorin was flirting and making his words drip with seduction, he knew how to spin and twist each word.

 

Dwalin and Balin had politely wandered over to the ponies. The two guardsmen looked the other way of their king and queen.

 

A faint blush had appeared on Arabella’s face as Thorin leaned down and softly pressed his lips to her cheek. He wasn’t going to rush this as Arabella smiled.

 

“Get some sleep Thorin,” She told him, kissing the corner of his lips and walked back over to her blanket.

 

 

* * *

 

Within a couple of weeks, the group had moved past Bree, Weathertop and was already in Rivendell.

 

Frodo was in awe of the place. With the helpful gratitude that Lord Elrond accepted them once more into his home, the twins decided to play a little prank.

 

It was supposed to be for Thorin but it ended up for Arabella. What the twins had done was dump cold colored water onto her when she entered her guest room.

 

Arabella was dyed pink.

 

To say the least, Lord Elrond and Arabella were not pleased. Thorin wasn’t sure to either be angry or chuckle. Dwalin howled in laughter as Balin excused himself to laugh privately in his room.

 

So the twins had guard duty of Frodo and Dwalin. 3 out of the 4 didn’t like it but that didn’t matter.

 

It was lunch and Arabella was still a light dyed pink color as Thorin and Lord Elrond with Balin, had just finished their meeting.

 

“I will do all that I can Thorin, to be at that meeting within Erebor. I do believe traveling with you will make King Thranduil see that you have changed and is willing to meet at the half way point. However, will the rest of your kingdom accept-?”

 

“Do not worry about that. You are always welcomed within Erebor,” Thorin interrupted him on that thought.

 

Lord Elrond nodded and they both walked where the last time they were here. Except Frodo, who was excitedly asking the elves a lot of questions. Arabella would occasionally tell Frodo to settle down with the questions but, she let him have his fun.

 

“We remembered that you like meat, so please help yourselves,” Lord Elrond said, smirking.

 

Arabella smiled at this as Thorin and Dwalin were pleased.

 

“Have you seen the gardens yet Arabella?” Lord Elrond asked her, getting his plate filled with food.

 

“No I haven’t. Been busy trying not to unleash Sting onto your sons,” she joked a bit.

 

Lord Elrond smiled at his plate and said “The last time that you were here, you were heavily pregnant. You had said to my daughter that your son, kicked you so hard, that you thought he was in disgust of being in an elven home,”

 

Everyone was silent at this. Arabella looked at Lord Elrond, as he held her gaze.

 

“You were here?” Thorin asked her curiously.

 

“Yes, I was. I will tell you later,” she told him, picking at her food now.

 

Thorin nodded as did Balin. That was one thing that Thorin, Balin and Dwalin were curious about.

 

After that, everyone was enjoying their lunch. Frodo had stopped asking so many questions and listened to their stories.

 

When Arabella had got the twins and Lord Elrond, to look after Frodo for her, she and the others gathered into her bedroom.

 

“You were here?” Thorin asked her, keeping his eyes on her.

 

“Yes I was. I knew no one that could help me with this because well…it was unheard of. Gandalf had stopped by every now and again but the birth of Frodo was very hard for me,” she answered, holding his gaze.

 

“How hard was it?” Balin asked her next.

 

“From what Lord Elrond had told me, he had to use some magic to keep me alive and asleep so that when I had to push Frodo out, I had enough energy to do it. I know that I would have died if it wasn’t for Lord Elrond and his help,” she explained to them.

 

Dwalin looked at Arabella in awe.

 

“And if you were to become pregnant again?” Thorin asked her curiously “How will you survive?”

 

“I come back here,” she said back to him.

 

Thorin nodded in understanding.

 

“I can’t believe that you survived that,” Dwalin barely uttered to her.

 

Arabella looked over at him, waiting for him to continue speaking.

 

“I know that our dwarrowdams are hardy for such things. Even in child birth, they can die if only the child is coming feet first. For you to survive such a birthing…you are one of us,” Dwalin whispered low, still in awe.

 

“I wouldn’t say that I am, just very stubborn and determine to get the job done. However, thank you, Dwalin,” she replied, walking over to him and giving him a rare hug.

 

He hugged her back, as he glared at Thorin and his older brother to not make fun of him on this.

 

She pulled back and walked over to the bed, sitting on it.

 

“After we leave here, how will we get over the Misty Mountains? I still get shivers just looking at them for too long,” she asked, changing the subject for now.

 

“We follow the same path just like last time. Hopefully this time, it won’t rain and we know which caves to avoid,” Balin replied, hoping that was the plan.

 

“And we stick to that plan?” she asked Thorin.

 

Heavily sighing he replied “Yes, we stick to that plan and the plan to meet up at Beorn’s if anything were to go wrong. We’re not pressing for time here, we can go at type of pace that we want to,”

 

“Good because the last time nearly broke me,” Arabella agreed to that.

 

“Almost all of us as well. Now, how about you show me that garden?” Thorin asked of her.

 

Dwalin and Balin left the king and queen of Erebor alone and went to go find where Frodo was.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“I still can’t believe that you left Lord Elrond in the snow!” Arabella snapped at Dwalin.

 

They were riding their ponies with an elf escort to Erebor. The Misty Mountains were a bit nicer than before, but still played its awful tricks on the small company.

 

“It came down too fast! The ponies were spooked and besides, Frodo is here with me,” Dwalin grunted out.

 

And he was right. Frodo was with him, if you could see the little blue sapphires from the mound of dark brown wool fur.

 

Arabella’s pony reared up out of frustration as she pulled hard on the reins to put him back on the ground.

 

“Easy boy. Easy,” she told him calmly.

 

He snorted and swished his tail.

 

Dwalin and Arabella moved from the mouth of the trail to the mountains. It was dangerous to do so and they were out in the open.

 

“Mama? Where is father?” Frodo asked her worriedly.

 

“I don’t know but, we will wait,” she told him and to Dwalin.

 

Dwalin heavily sighed, keeping his pony close to the queen.

 

20 minutes had gone by and there was still nothing. It grated on Arabella’s nerves but, when she heard something, her hopes rose.

 

“Just wait until Fili and Kili hear of this,” Thorin’s aggravated echoed.

 

“Thorin?” Ara called out.

 

It might have been wrong to do so, but she was worried for them.

 

His pony came trotting up and even though he had snowflakes in his hair, he looked alright.

 

“Papa!” Frodo exclaimed, wiggling about.

 

“Be still, Frodo,” Dwalin told him.

 

“Calm down Frodo. I’m alright,” Thorin said, reaching out and cupping his son’s face.

 

Frodo snuggled into it with delight as Arabella asked “What happened?”

 

“You should ask Lord Elrond’s twin sons,” Thorin growled low.

 

“What? You mean….they caused that avalanche?” she said, looking over at the trail.

 

There they were on their horses, getting scolded by their father.

 

Taking the lead once more, Thorin lead them away from the mouth of the Misty Mountains.

 

They traveled for most of the day and well into the evening.

 

 

* * *

 

“Erebor,” Arabella said, looking at the massive mountain before her.

 

“It has changed since you left,” Balin told her as they were on a barge leaving Lake Town.

 

The people of Lake Town had rebuild that town and even though that they had Dale, the older people had stayed there.

 

“How so?” she asked, looking over at Thorin.

 

He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist.

 

“It has more restoration to it. Where Smaug had destroyed some parts of it, has been rebuilt. Some couldn’t be or the whole mountain will cave in. Been dusted and cleaned up. The company didn’t like cleaning up after Smaug, but it had to be done,” He replied, as she chuckled.

 

“I am guessing I will be hearing stories upon stories on this one,” she teased, laughing.

 

“Aye,” Dwalin grunted.

 

Frodo walked over to her and she wrapped her arms around him.

 

“Why is it so massive Mama?” he asked, still in awe of his new home.

 

“Mountains are massive by nature,” she told him, combing through his hair.

 

“Will anyone like me there?” he asked curiously.

 

“Of course they will,” Thorin said “Though I could’ve easily”

 

“Thorin. King Thranduil was pleasant and minded his manners when he saw Lord Elrond,” Arabella cut in swiftly.

 

That didn’t go over too well when the twins and Dwalin took Frodo out of hearing range. Lord Elrond had listened to what King Thranduil was upset about, but afterwards, gave a scolding that had him shrinking back. Thorin thrived in that moment because it was words that needed to be said to King Thranduil.

 

Arabella then told King Thranduil that there would be a meeting between him, Bard, the dwarves of Erebor and Ferrell of Lake Town.

 

“But the hobbits teased me because I wasn’t a true hobbit,” Frodo stated, bringing the harsh reality to light.

 

Arabella knelt down to her son’s eye level and softly said “You will always be a part of two worlds. That will never be forgotten nor will everyone like it. Just know this Frodo, you will always be loved by me, your father, the company and anyone else who gets to know you,”

 

“And if anyone makes fun of you in my kingdom…” Thorin threatened, letting it hang there.

 

“ _Thorin_ ,” Arabella said, knowing exactly what would happen.

 

Thorin gently picked their son up, his arm under his butt for support and his other arm for balance.

 

“People will make fun of you because of your mother and I falling in love on a dangerous quest to reclaim a kingdom that was once lost. You can tell them the love story there if you like, but at the end of the day, your mother and I will always be there to listen and to love you Frodo,” Thorin reworded to his son.

 

Frodo snuggled into his shoulder and then said “Will there be elk antlers in Erebor? If so, can we burn them?”

 

Balin and Arabella chuckled as Thorin and Dwalin laughed.

 

“No, there are no antlers in Erebor. But, you get to pick out what you would like in your new bedroom,” Thorin said, still laughing a bit.

 

“Good because I want a garden,” Frodo said and it was a reminder to the dwarves: they had one and half hobbits with them.

 

“We’ll see,” Balin said winking at his new student.

 

Frodo smiled and enjoyed the boat ride.

 

It wasn’t until that they crossed the lake and bumped badly into the dock. Dwalin and Thorin sent glares at the man but, it was Arabella who saw something was wrong.

 

“Thorin,” she said, pulling out Sting.

 

Thorin looked at her as he hurried forward. There should have been a watchman here.

 

“I don’t like this. Dorkas should be here,” Thorin said low, pulling out Orcrist.

 

“Should we split up?” Arabella asked them curiously.

 

“No,” Lord Elrond said, making them jump.

 

They had forgotten that he was traveling with them, along with his twin sons.

 

“Lord Elrond is right,” Balin spoke up “If we split up, we will be picked off. Come on, let’s get going. And Arabella, keep Sting out. Even though it’s a letter open, even they can cause damage,”

 

With a roll of her eyes at the other nickname for her sword, she pulled Sting out and kept Frodo close to her.

 

They walked up the steep slopes towards Erebor. Their ponies walked off of the barge and pretty soon they mounted back into their saddles. Frodo stayed with his mother as the men formed a diamond barrier around them.

 

Arabella kept an eye on her sword. She knew that if there were orcs or goblins close by. Sting wasn’t just a normal sword you see. It was crafted by the high elves of 2nd age of Middle-Earth and because of that, it glowed blue if danger was nearby.

 

It was before she left that Lord Elrond had his smithies do some clever designs and elvish writing on the blade itself: “Maegnas (Sting) is my name, I am the spider's bane”.

 

Frodo was still in awe of how big Erebor actually was. He never saw a mountain this close up. With a gentle lift of his open mouth, Thorin smiled at his boy.

 

“Why is it so big?” Frodo asked, looking around them.

 

“Because that is how it was built,” Balin answered him, moving his pony closer to the right.

 

“Built? Built by whom?” Frodo asked for more information.

 

“By Mahal, the god that created us dwarves and the 7 founding fathers of our race,” Balin said back, nearly proudly.

 

Arabella half listened to their history lesson; her eyes were out on the hills that covered a lot of ground.

 

“Arabella? Are you alright?” Thorin whispered low to her.

 

“Yes, just I don’t like it out here,” she whispered back to him.

 

Thorin nodded and then glanced down at her sword. It was glowing bright blue color.

 

“Dwalin!” Was all the warning that they had as something or someone knocked Thorin from his pony.

 

The ponies reared up, frightened by the massive warg now in the middle of their group. Arabella got her pony back on the ground and started to gallop away.

 

Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Thorin, the guardsmen and Lord Elrond fighting the group of orcs.

 

Balin and Dwalin hurried behind her as she turned her gaze back around.

 

“Papa!” Frodo cried out but he was too far away from him now.

 

“He’ll be alright Frodo. He has Orcrist with him. He’ll be alright,” His mother tried to soothe him.

 

They were just coming up to the ledge of seeing Dale when the ground shook. Frodo clung onto his mother’s arm as he whimpered. Balin and Dwalin were then on either side of them as an army of dwarves all in armor and battle gear were running towards the band of orcs and wargs.

 

“TO THE KING!” one dwarf shouted and then they charged forward with new energy.

 

“Make for Dale!” Balin ordered them.

 

And that is what Arabella did. They galloped onto the bridges that lead into Dale as clinking and cries could be heard from over the hills.

 

Slowing their pony down to a walk, Frodo was sniffling.

 

“He’ll back, Frodo,” Arabella whispered to him, kissing his forehead.

 

He snuggled into her with silent tears trickling down his face.

 

Balin sighed as he knew that this was hard on the young Prince.

 

“When did these attacks start happening?” Arabella asked Balin or Dwalin.

 

“Roughly the same time you left,” Dwalin answered her.

 

“And they haven’t stopped? Have any of them told you what they are doing here or why?” she asked, the people of Dale parted for them.

 

“No. They would kill themselves in their cells that night. We can’t understand what they are doing, but Tauriel had stated to us that one of the orcs that King Thranduil had had given him information. Information that I will not discuss in front of Prince Frodo,” Balin told her with a firm ‘no discussion further’ expression.

 

Arabella had to wait until Frodo was either with someone else or asleep to know more. They spotted Bard walking hurriedly towards them.

 

“Balin! What is the matter?” Bard asked worriedly.

 

“Orcs were out on the slopes,” Dwalin growled low.

 

“That is the 10th attack this month,” Bard replied, not sure on how to deal with this.

 

“You remember Arabella, Bard? The hobbit that helped us reclaimed Erebor?” Balin asked him curiously.

 

“Ah, yes. The one where you treated her nearly like dirt just trying to prevent a war,” Bard said, then noticing the small child in her lap.

 

“This is my son, Frodo Baggins. And I would appreciate it if you didn’t talk so openly about that event,” she replied, nodding to him.

 

Bard then asked “Is he the son of Thorin?”

 

“I would like to speak to you inside, if we could?” Arabella asked, not answering Bard out in the open.

 

After they dismounted from the ponies, the small group walked over Bard who showed them a Trading house.

 

“What do you think of this? We have about 8 others in the works but this is the first one of actual talks of trade, counseling and other things of that nature,” Bard told her, smiling a bit.

 

“It is nice,” she said, holding Frodo in her arms.

 

“Is he really the King’s son?” Bard asked her when the door was closed to the large room.

 

Arabella choose to look around the room a bit more. It had a large wooden oak table with matching chairs, to the left side of the room. Lots of maps around Middle-Earth and the cream walls and floor made it welcoming.

 

“Yes, Frodo is Thorin’s son, however I wish you wouldn’t broadcast that around,” she answered Bard with a bit of bite.

 

Holding up his hands, Bard replied “I am sorry for offending you, Queen Arabella. I was just curious because I know what happened before his birth,”

 

“Apology accepted and I am sorry, Bard. Just, if everyone knew that Thorin had a son right now….it would cause a lot of strife that I am not willing to put my son in harm’s way,” she told him, looking at the ground.

 

“Understandable. Thorin and that group will be here soon enough. Rest for a day or so. You and his people along with any kind of elf or elves, are always welcome here,” Bard then said, then leaving them.

 

“Mama…where is Papa?” Frodo asked worriedly.

 

“How about you look out this window here? It has a good view of the bridges and the road that we just rode up on,” Dwalin stated, pointing to it.

 

Arabella walked over and gently put Frodo on a chair so he could see out of it.

 

Balin heavily sighed and gently pulled Arabella aside. She looked at him curiously.

 

“I know that you do not want it announced to everyone just yet, Arabella, but the kingdom will need to know,” he stressed softly to her.

 

“Can we do it during a feast? Where everyone is welcomed?” she asked him curiously.

 

“Oh yes. During those kinds of feasts, everyone is welcomed. The council however, will be the hardest to come to terms with that of Frodo, but they will accept him once they see him during a council meeting,” Balin said, swallowing nervously.

 

“I want to be there when that happens. I want Dwalin and you to be there as well. If those vultures are going to pick apart my son, I want to be pick apart them back,” she snarled low.

 

“Papa is coming! Papa is coming!” Frodo squealed in delight.

 

Balin nodded and let the subject go for now.

 

A couple of minutes later, the door opened as Thorin and Lord Elrond walked inside. Frodo dashed towards his papa as he bent down and hoisted him up into a hug.

 

“Papa, I was so worried about you,” Frodo said, snuggling into him.

 

Thorin tightened his arms around his boy as he looked over at Arabella. She smiled softly at him, letting him know that she was happy to see him.

 

“In a couple of days we’ll head to Erebor, but for now, I am hungry,” Thorin said “And I would like a bath,”

 

“What happened to the orcs?” Dwalin asked him.

 

“They were destroyed,” Lord Elrond answered him “They were from the last remaining of Bolg’s troop. I do not think that you will have any more problems with them anytime soon. However, I too would like to get cleaned up and have some lunch,”

 

They all nodded and did just that.

 

Arabella glanced out a window that faced the entrance of Erebor and shuttered a little. Memories of the past were strong but, she knew in time that they will fade away.


	4. Settling Part 1.

**_ Chapter 4: Settling Part 1. _ **

 

The shadows around them were glaring and jumping. Frodo clung more to his mother’s large dwarf coat as they rode into the massive gates of Erebor, hugging his knees to his chest.

 

“Frodo, when we get off, I want you to hug my back. I know its night out and less people abound in the hallways…” Arabella whispered into his ear and left that sentence hanging.

 

Frodo nodded, understanding a bit of what his mother was trying to do.

 

It was easy to sneak out of a building, it was that much harder to sneak into it.

 

Thorin thought that Arabella was over reacting to this whole thing of people seeing Frodo. He couldn’t quite understand where this fear popped up. Dwalin was in agreement with Thorin but was keeping his opinion to himself.

 

Balin and Lord Elrond understood where Arabella was getting this fear from: The Council. They could easily state for Frodo to be exiled or worse, death.

 

Pretty soon the small company came to a halt and dismounted.

 

Thorin lead them through the maze of the inner market place, through the front gate, down a hallway where the office was at. Arabella didn’t understand why they were in here.

 

“Thorin,” she said warily, still holding Frodo close to her.

 

“Arabella, we are here because I need Lord Elrond’s signature and documented account of your birthing of our son. If this isn’t done now, then your fear will come true and I honestly do not want that to happen,” Thorin explained to her, walking over and dropping her hood to her shoulders.

 

She paled and then whispered low “It’s very hard story to repeat. One where I do not want Frodo to know of just yet,”

 

“Do not worry, Arabella, I will write it down,” Lord Elrond told her, already sitting at the offered chair to the desk.

 

She nodded and even though she hugged Frodo closer to her, she felt strong thick arms wrap around her waist. Her eyes caught Thorin looking back at her.

 

It took some time for Lord Elrond to write everything down and then signed it. Balin signed it next, with Dwalin, Thorin and finally Arabella.

 

“Mama? I want to sign it,” Frodo sleepily said to her.

 

“Oh…uh,” she looked over at Balin.

 

“He may, no harm if he does,” Balin told her smiling.

 

She nodded and started to ink up his hand. When Frodo reached over and pressed his inked up hand on the very bottom, everyone chuckled and smiled at him.

 

Thorin gently took a towel to Frodo’s small hand and started to wipe away the black ink.

 

“Balin, can you get Bombur to cook some kind of meal for us all?” Thorin had asked him.

 

“I will see what can be done. For now, our guests will be lead to their rooms and for bed,” Balin replied back, as Thorin then lead Lord Elrond and them to their bedrooms.

 

When Lord Elrond had entered into his, Frodo was sniffling.

 

“Don’t worry Frodo, some food will be brought up,” Arabella whispered in his ear.

 

He nodded and sighed as Thorin lead them past the guest level and up into the royal wing.

 

“It’s much cleaner when you last saw this place,” Thorin said to Arabella.

 

“I noticed that. Was that your idea?” she asked teasingly.

 

“I may have suggested it,” he teased right back.

 

“You may? Hm…”

 

“Alright, I suggested it after I noticed that some of the company was getting ill from the dust,”

 

“Better. And I’m glad that you cleaned this up,” she stated, looking at the polished granite floor, walls and ceiling.

 

“We all pitched in,” Dwalin grunted from behind them.

 

“Even Fili and Kili?” she asked curiously.

 

“Knowing how those two are, we had to threaten them to get this place cleaned up,” Thorin said, chuckling.

 

“Oh? With what? And did it work?” Arabella asked shifting Frodo from her left hip to her right.

 

“Found out that Kili is in love with that elf archer, and Fili with marriage to one of the Iron hills dwarrowdams,” Thorin stated, gently taking Frodo from her to ease her body joints.

 

She chuckled and then said “I could’ve told you the first one, Thorin. I caught Tauriel and Kili nearly kissing in the medical tent when the battle was over with,”

 

Thorin had stopped, opened mouth and had a shock expression.

 

“What? You didn’t realize that they were already nearly married to one another?” she asked him as Dwalin now had that same expression.

 

“No,” Both Thorin and Dwalin said at once.

 

Chuckling, Arabella then said “Yes. I didn’t realize that they were that close either until I saw how they were sneaking to see one another and the white ribbon over their hands,”

 

“WHAT!” Thorin snapped at her.

 

“Ooh that whelp is going to get an earful!” Dwalin snarled.

 

“I don’t understand, what is so wrong about that?” she asked any of them.

 

“They are married. It is no wonder that we haven’t seen Tauriel around here when Kili went back to the Blue Mountains,” Thorin growled out.

 

“Can you explain to me WHAT that white ribbon was about?” Arabella hissed at either dwarf.

 

“That is the normal ceremony for couples to get married. Just who could give them that blessing is my question,” Thorin explained a bit to Arabella.

 

“Balin probably,” Dwalin said, those two basically ignored Arabella now.

 

She glared at their backs.

 

When they came to the double wooden doors, she looked at confused.

 

“Weren’t these-?”

 

“Made in pure gold? Yes, however I ordered for all gold to be removed from the rooms, hallways and anywhere that it might be. I don’t want to fall into the snares of Gold sickness and Dragon sickness. It was either wood or steel,” Thorin explained to her as Dwalin opened the doors to her.

 

She looked inside and it looked cozy.

 

“Balin and Dori did the design of this room for you,” Thorin said when she walked fully inside of it.

 

Dwalin nodded to them and took his leave.

 

Arabella gently took Frodo back into her arms as he yawned and leaned against her. The room itself was very large. Arabella guessed that it was the same size as 3 guest rooms, the front parlor, dining room and kitchen if they were back in Bag-End.

 

A couch with a couple armchairs near the roaring fireplace with a fur rug in front of it. Her eyes swept over to the massive wooden four poster bed.

 

“Thorin,” she said walking over to it.

 

It was truly beautifully done.

 

Thorin looked down, blushing as he muttered “I had a lot of time on my hands and even though my true trade is with metal, I am fairly good with wood too,”

 

Each post of the bed looked like a columns with fern leaves wrapped around it. The columns themselves almost looked like real marble. The canopy were designed with 3 solid beams with white silk weaved into it. The headboard arch looked like the sun was rising but within that arch, there was a design that almost resembled a crown.

 

“This is beautiful and it must have taken you weeks to finish,” Arabella said to him, still in awe of it.

 

“I couldn’t get you out of my mind,” Thorin truthfully told her, watching her gently pull the blankets back and put Frodo on the mattress.

 

“It’s soft mama,” he said yawning again.

 

“I bet it is Frodo, but can you scoot to the middle? You can wash your face and comb your hair tomorrow morning,” she replied, covering her son back up.

 

“Aaawe,” he complained but did scoot over into the middle of the bed.

 

“Don’t worry Frodo,” Thorin then said, walking up to the foot of the bed. “I hated to do that too,”

 

“You did?” he asked curiously now.

 

“Yes I did. I would try and hide from my own mother because I hated it so much. Sometimes I got away with it and others I couldn’t,” Thorin answered his son.

 

Frodo giggled but yawned hugely.

 

“Go to bed now,” Arabella told him, smiling.

 

“In the morning, I will see what can be done for getting you a bed,” Thorin told him next.

 

“The bed soft as Mama’s?” Frodo asked, his eyelids heavily closing.

 

“Yes,” Thorin agreed.

 

Frodo was in dreamland by then. Arabella gently walked over to the fireplace and sat down.

 

“These are wonderful,” she whispered low.

 

“Again, I had you on my mind and I know how much you loved Bag-End and how much you missed your own armchair,” Thorin whispered back, walking over and sitting opposite of her.

 

“I bet you didn’t expect of me to have had a son,” she said, keeping her voice low.

 

“No I did not, however, those double doors there,” Thorin said pointing to the wooden pine double doors just past her bathroom “That could be his room. It’s big enough for him, for now. Balin had argued with me that I should _‘just in case’_ it was needed and in many ways, I’m glad that I had let him,”

 

She nodded and replied “I will look at them in the morning. Though it wasn’t that far of traveling, I am exhausted,”

 

“Understandable. For the time being, I will not be staying in this room. It’s tradition that the King stays out of the future queen’s room; so that she won’t fall pregnant before the wedding and coronation,” Thorin told her, gently getting up and bowed to her.

 

Arabella had never seen Thorin do this. So it was quite the shock to witness him, bowing to her.

 

“Okay,” was all she could get out.

 

Thorin stood straight once more and then gently took her hand into his and kissed it.

 

“Good night Arabella,” he said and then left the room.

 

She stayed up for a little while until she forced herself to get changed and into bed with Frodo who snuggled into her snoring a little.

 

In the morning, she was up and just watching how Frodo was looking around. The room was very grand and Thorin with his company did a marvelous job.

 

“Mama? Is papa up yet?” Frodo asked her walking over to the other armchair and sat on it.

 

“I don’t know and I am not letting you wander the hallways alone. It’s bad enough that I can’t find things around here, it will be a lot harder for you,” Arabella replied back.

 

“Aawe,” He whined.

 

“Sorry kiddo, but if I lose you in this massive maze, I would seriously be sad and angry,” Arabella told him truthfully.

 

“Why would you be angry?” he asked her curiously.

 

“Because I told you to not to wander off by yourself and if you did go with someone, I would prefer you not be with your uncles. You will love them when you get to meet them but, that won’t be for a while,” she answered him, again truthful.

 

“Oh. What are they like Mama?” Frodo asked her, climbing up into her lap and sitting there “My uncles I mean,”

 

“You’re uncles are very much like little hobbits like yourself,” Thorin’s deep voice greeted them.

 

“PAPA!” Frodo exclaimed, sliding down Arabella’s legs and running to his papa.

 

Thorin scooped him up and hugged him tightly with “Good Morning, Frodo. Sleep well?”

 

“Yes! When can I meet my uncles? What are they like? Will they like me? Do they know my name?” Frodo started to fire off a lot of questions.

 

Chuckling, Thorin brought his finger up and gently put it over Frodo’s mouth because he knew he wouldn’t be able to answer any of them that way.

 

Frodo looked up curiously at him.

 

“You’re uncles are named Fili and Kili. Fili has blonde hair and Kili has black hair, like mine,” Thorin explained to him. “They always get into trouble about some kind of prank that they want to pull from stories of my brother trying and pulling the prank off well,”

 

“You have a brother?” Frodo asked him.

 

“Had. He died long ago, Frodo,” Thorin told him.

 

Arabella knew how much this topic was very sensitive for him to talk about.

 

“I’m hungry,” Frodo said, sensing that this wasn’t a good thing to talk about at all.

 

Thorin smiled at him as Balin came in with some food carts.

 

“Thank you Balin, you truly didn’t have to bring these up,” Arabella greeted him, getting up.

 

“It’s alright. How did you sleep last night? Was Thorin in his own room?” Balin asked her, lifting the lids from the steamy trays.

 

“Yes he did and he also bowed to me, which he never does…to anyone,” she answered, gathering up food on a plate for Frodo.

 

“I do too. Just not to everyone else,” Thorin protested.

 

“It’s alright laddie. And good, tradition demands that you two stay apart until your wedding night,” Balin said letting her get her food.

 

Thorin walked over and gently put Frodo in his chair as his mother walked over with his plate filled with breakfast.

 

“Thank you Mama,” Frodo said to her as he dug in.

 

“You’re welcome,” she replied, walking back over to get her own plate.

 

“So, you are alright with marrying me?” Thorin asked her, knowing that Arabella was free spirited as he was stubborn.

 

“I still don’t know Thorin. A lot of trust is still being rebuilt and …I would like it if you could court me first before we jump to being married, if that’s possible?” she directed that question to Balin.

 

“I figured you would ask of that and the best answer that I can give you, Arabella, is that you marry Thorin. The council; no matter how much one hates them, has the last statement of this. It would just make things less complicated even though it will create more complications,” Balin answered her.

 

Heavily sighing Arabella then snapped irritably “Is there anything that this blasted Council _cannot do_!”

 

“My love for you,” Thorin tenderly answered that.

 

She looked him over and remained silent in a very seething way.

 

“There will be an event, Arabella,” Balin began to change the subject for now “It is of neighboring dwarves and with the very selected few who are invited by the king himself,”

 

“Is it a dinner of some sort?” she asked, trying to figure it out.

 

She picked out her breakfast and sat in her armchair.

 

“It’s a tradition that has been passed down from one king to the next. Nain I created this dinner to celebrate the Kings and Durin himself. I will request Arabella, that Frodo meet the Company. He will need to get to know them for this dinner event. I do not think leaving him alone all night is wise,” Balin explained to her.

 

“When is this dinner?” she asked, trying to understand.

 

“Tonight,” Thorin replied, swallowing nervously.

 

There was a very good saying between the dwarves: Never come in between a mother and her child or children as it might as well be your last.

 

Balin looked at Arabella and thought to himself, _‘I have never seen one hold to be so still. She will lead our people well,’_

 

“Send in the company. If this is going to happen so fast that I cannot get to wrap my head around it; then let them in,” Arabella told them and walked to her bathroom for privacy.

 

Thorin walked to go after her, he knew how much of a change this was and how everything she knew of the dwarves were like one minute and suddenly pulling the fur rug from under one’s feet.

 

“Leave her be. She will come around soon enough,” Balin stated, but his eyes gazed over at the bathroom, worriedly.

 

“I know but, she doesn’t have to go through this alone, Balin,” Thorin grumbled low.

 

“I will put out a statement that you have found someone-”

 

“No. spread the word that Arabella is here and with her nephew. It is Hobbit custom to adopt if no one will step up and claim the said child. It’s the least we can do for her,” Thorin interrupted him, walking over to Frodo who had listened.

 

“Papa? Why do we have to bend to this council if we are the royals?” Frodo asked him curiously.

 

Thorin knelt and heavily sighed as he answered “Because, even Royalty needs guidance. However, you and your mother are correct; we do not need to bend to them, for they do not rule over Erebor and all of the dwarrows. But one day, hopefully a long, long, long time for now, you will understand it,”

 

“When can I meet my uncles?” Frodo asked his papa.

 

“Well…you can meet one of them since Kili is all the way over in the Blue Mountains with his mother,” Thorin answered, stealing one of the pieces of buttered up toast.

 

“AH! Papa!” Frodo squawked.

 

“Alright, I’ll get my own breakfast. It seems that you are your mother’s son after all,” Thorin said, smiling as he put the toast back on his son’s plate.

 

Frodo glared at his papa, who chuckled and got up. Balin was smiling at this exchange as Arabella came out of the bathroom.

 

“Well of course he is, he’s half hobbit,” Arabella told them as she walked back over and started to eat her cold breakfast.

 

They left Arabella alone. It was going to be tough on the hobbit lass, to get use to the sudden rules that appeared out of thin air.

 

When breakfast was wheeled away, Thorin and Balin left the room so that Frodo and Arabella could change into some clothes.

 

“Tomorrow, get Dori up here. I want Arabella to have some clothes that are made from here but in her style. Everyone won’t like it but, we have to remind them that she is not a Dwarf, but a hobbit. Different culture in entirely,” Thorin whispered to Balin in the hallway.

 

“Aye, I’ll send a message after we’re finished here,” Balin whispered back.

 

It was then that Fili walked into the hallway and smiled at them both.

 

“Good Morning. I got your letter Uncle. I don’t know what the toys are for but, I brought them just like you asked,” Fili greeted them both.

 

“You will need those toys to draw Frodo’s attention. He’s very shy and I hope these will bring him out of his shell a bit,” Thorin whispered low once more.

 

Suddenly they all heard Frodo’s scream in delighted laughter of “Mama!”

 

Fili froze at this new information and was staring at the door. It was very rare to hear a child’s voice within the dwarrows.

 

“It’s not another dwarrowdam, Fili,” Thorin reassured his nephew.

 

“Then who does the child belong to?” Fili whispered back.

 

The door opened then and when Fili saw Arabella smiling and straightening out her best hobbit dress, Fili didn’t know what to think.

 

“Arabella, you remember my beloved heir and eldest nephew?” Thorin asked, stepping out of the way.

 

Arabella looked over and then smiled more at him.

 

“Fili, it is wonderful to see you again,” she told him, gently wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

 

He hugged her back and then pulled away, “And it’s wonderful to see you as well…Auntie,”

 

Arabella huffed playfully and shook her head at him.

 

“Mama?” a tiny voice greeted Fili’s ears as he looked down.

 

There standing, hiding a bit behind the wooden door, was little Frodo. He looked unsure of who he was meeting now.

 

The awareness of how Frodo looked nearly liked Thorin was a shock.

 

“Hello,” Fili greeted the little one.

 

“…Hi,” Frodo shyly replied back, moving out of sight now.

 

“How about we take this inside the room?” Balin requested of Arabella.

 

She nodded as she walked in first, gently taking her son’s tiny hand into hers. The other filed in and Balin closed the wooden door.

 

Frodo wrapped his tiny arms around his mother’s leg as he looked up at Fili.

 

“Fili, this is your nephew, Frodo Baggins. Frodo, this is your uncle, Fili son of Dis and Heir to the throne of Erebor,” Thorin introduced the two to each other.

 

“M-my n-nephew?” Fili stammered, looking at Thorin.

 

“Yes. Frodo is my son, which Arabella didn’t tell me about. I didn’t know that she was pregnant during the battle, but it would explain why she wanted us all to not get into it,” Thorin replied back.

 

Arabella just combed through her boy’s hair to soothe him.

 

Fili looked over at her then and asked “How could she survive the birthing part? We all know that Dwarrowdams sometimes die during it,”

 

“I was heading towards Rivendell, when Gandalf discovered I was pregnant and with Lord Elrond’s help, Frodo came into the world,” Arabella then told Fili.

 

“From what I can read of his view of the event, without his help,” Balin began as everyone looked at him “You would not have survived the birthing at all,”

 

“No, hobbits are much smaller then you dwarves. I know that I wouldn’t be here today, without Lord Elrond’s help but, maybe one day, I would like to try for another child,” she agreed with Balin.

 

Thorin blushed but when Fili walked over and then knelt, his blush somewhat faded.

 

“So you’re my nephew,” Fili stated, smiling at Frodo.

 

“And are you my uncle?” Frodo replied back.

 

Chuckling Fili nodded with “I brought some toys that you might like. That is if Auntie Bella wouldn’t mind?”

 

“Of course I don’t, just what did you get for him?” Arabella asked, looking at the brown bag.

 

Fili shrugged and looked through it.

 

“We have a wooden black raven on wooden wheels, a wooden little yellow horn, a wooden red dragon, a wooden little gray horse and a wooden brown bear,” he said, taking them out of his bag to show to her.

 

She nodded and looked down at her son who had his eyes a glow.

 

“Mama, may I please play with those?” he asked, looking up at her.

 

“Yes Frodo you may since they all are for you,” she replied, kissing him on the forehead and letting go of his hand.

 

He hurried over to Fili and picked up the dragon and bear.

 

“Who made these?” Arabella asked looking over at Thorin.

 

“Bofur. He and Bifur are the top toy makers in Erebor right now,” he replied watching his son play next to Fili.

 

“Do you think that they can make some stuff that Frodo likes?” she asked him, not wanting her son to be bored.

 

“Maybe, but for now he has a good amount to start with,” Thorin said, still watching them.

 

“So how is this going to work?” Fili asked his uncle, moving the wooden black raven on wheels to the bear.

 

“What to work?” Arabella asked him.

 

“This dinner tonight. Frodo is going to come with us?” Fili asked more in detail.

 

“That Lad, I don’t know. That is completely up to Arabella, since Frodo is her son. However, Thorin, I was just checking my pockets and if we are to fool the council, I would think that these will help us along,” Balin replied, walking over to his king and softly handing the items over.

 

Thorin opened his palm and gasped.

 

“What?” Bella asked him.

 

He turned towards her, his palm open for her to see the two Mithril with pearl and sapphire courting and marriage beads.

 

“I thought you threw those out?” she whispered to him.

 

“I couldn’t. I always had Balin look after them since they mean so much,” Thorin answered, staring into his own palm.

 

Fili looked at them and asked “Aren’t they from your mother, Uncle?”

 

“Yes. Father made them for her but, she didn’t like Mithril all that much. So he gave them to me whenever I had found my One,” Thorin explained to them all.

 

Arabella took a soft deep breath and let it slowly out. Frodo looked at the beads curiously but didn’t touch them.

 

“If you think it is best Balin, than we will go with your idea. I just hope that no one will get hurt by it,” Arabella said, gently pulling her son closer to her.

 

“Don’t worry. If someone does get hurt, I will take full responsibility,” Balin said, as Thorin shook his head ‘no’ at his long time old friend and teacher.

 

“Who else can I meet?” Frodo’s tiny voice asked them.

 

The adults turned to the small child who was making the dragon and bear “Fly” in wavy motions.

 

“You will get to meet the infamous company of your father’s crazy quest to reclaim Erebor,” Arabella told him, earning her a soft glare from Thorin.

 

“We’re not Infamous, Aunt Bella,” Fili said standing up “You are,”

 

“What? How? I did _nothing_ -”

 

“Ah, ah, ah. You did something that _no other person_ of Middle-Earth would have done: Helped us when we needed it the most,” Fili interrupted her smiling.

 

That pretty much stilled her tongue.

 

“And besides, your minor tales of saving our hides from time to time, has made you quite the hero,” Balin chimed in then.

 

“What? But I am no hero. I am just someone who realized that if I did not help you guys out, where would all of you be now?” she protested.

 

“Yes you are and the dwarrows who saw you out on that battlefield can and will say, Arabella is the one who helped save our King,” Thorin grumbled low.

 

The wind in her went rushing out as she sighed.

 

“Alright. Fine, I’ll just say ‘thank you’ and be done with it,” she said back to them.

 

“Now, can we walk to the dining hall, please?” Balin asked her softly.

 

Heavily sighing, Arabella gently took Frodo’s hand as Thorin walked over to her and braided the beads into her hair once more.

 

 

* * *

 

The dining hall was utterly silent now. The large double doors had swung opened inward and everyone was quiet.

 

“Hail, King Thorin!” a guardsman said loudly, stomping his axe for effect.

 

“Hail, King Thorin!” the dwarves replied back.

 

“Hail, Queen Arabella and Prince Frodo!” the guardsman said loudly, stomping his axe once more.

 

Arabella looked over at Thorin with horror but, it would be better if the truth was out there for everyone to know.

 

There were gasping, shocked filled faces, and weak “Hail Queen Arabella and prince Frodo” echo.

 

“Arabella? As in one of our own has returned?” she heard Bofur say loudly before she saw him.

 

Frodo held his mother’s hand like a vice. He stuck close to her as they walked into the dining room, up towards the head of the table and stood there.

 

Many of the dwarrows were staring in utter shock. The company themselves were pushing their fellow dwarrows out of the way.

 

“Bella!” they roared with happiness.

 

Hugs were given all around from the company.

 

“Hi, guys,” Bella told them, smiling and returning the hugs back.

 

“Who’s this little guy?” Bofur asked, smiling at Frodo.

 

“This is Frodo, our son,” Bella replied loudly back.

 

“Our son? As in Thorin Oakenshield’s and yours son?” Dori asked her curiously.

 

“Yes. I had to make a trip to Rivendell for his birth. Lord Elrond is here, he can probably tell you that story if you want to hear it, Dori,” she answered him, smiling a little.

 

“What is this monastery of this horrible joke Thorin!” one of the dwarves snapped at him.

 

“My son is not a monster. As for the joke, I hoped you liked it,” Thorin replied with a growl.

 

Thorin helped Arabella sit down first at the long stone table and pushed in her wooden chair. She picked up Frodo and held him in her lap.

 

“An explanation is demanded!” the same dwarf snarled at him.

 

“I already told you, _Lord_ Ergan, Frodo is my son. Arabella is my queen, since she was the one who birthed him,” Thorin hissed in warning.

 

Arabella looked over at the dwarf that was Lord Ergan and saw at once how much he hated her. It wasn’t the fact that she survived the birth of Frodo, no. It was the fact that she was not a dwarf at all.

 

“This is unacceptable!” Lord Ergan snarled.

 

“Then leave. I will not have anyone harm my wife or son just because they do not please everyone else here in this room. Also _Arabella Baggins_ is a part of the company that helped reclaimed this mountain. She had talked to the witless worm, Smaug, gone up against Bolg twice and saved my life a lot more than anyone who did not join my company,” Thorin snapped, he had enough.

 

There was a heavy silence that followed that tiny speech. Frodo was snuggling into his mother for hating the arguing and yelling.

 

“Does anyone here, _doubt_ our King’s choice?” Balin dared anyone to speak up now.

 

“I do not, but I would like to hear the tale of how Prince Frodo came into this world with the rest of the council. Good day your highnesses,” another member spoke up calmly.

 

“Thank you Lord Dwar,” Thorin began “And all of the council members will hear of it. Just not now,”

 

The council members all walked out of the dining room and the doors closed.

 

“Mama,” Frodo whimpered.

 

Thorin looked over at him with concern when he saw Bella gently give him some water and rub his tummy.

 

“Is the lad alright?” Balin asked her worriedly.

 

“He’s always gets like this. It was one of the major reasons why I panicked during when Thorin wasn’t right in the head and war was on our doorstep. Maybe Oin can look at what is the actual cause? Lord Elrond could never figure it out since he is part Elf and part Man,” Bella answered him, gently calming her son down.

 

“Aye, if the King allows it,” Oin replied, looking over at Thorin for permission.

 

“Yes Oin. But if Frodo gets unwell, you have my permission from now on, to tend to him. I know you won’t ever hurt or cause any harm towards him,” Thorin said as Oin was already over to the Queen and young Prince.

 

“What happens to Fili?” Ori asked Thorin quietly.

 

“Nothing happens to him or Kili. Balin has already dug into the matter that since both of his uncles are close to 100 years old and Frodo is only 3 or 4 years old, the kingdom will go to Fili and Kili. If you would like to dig some more on that matter, please do so. We only have 2 weeks before the council members come to their senses,” Thorin whispered back watching Oin poke and prod his now crying son.

 

“Papa!” Frodo exclaimed in distressed.

 

It tore at Thorin’s heart as he was up and walking towards him. His arms acted on their own as he lifted his boy and softly rocked him.

 

“Easy, Frodo, I’m here. Nothing will happen to you. I should’ve asked the council members to leave,” Thorin muttered low.

 

“You should have done that a long time ago,” Bella huffed at him.

 

“What do you want me to do Ara?” Thorin asked her.

 

“Have their own dining room or eat with everyone else but, not here in the royal wing. When have they ever helped us on our quest? They were the ones who denied your request for help,” She stated, trying to keep calm for Frodo’s sake.

 

“I agree with Bella,” Nori stepped in.

 

“Aye, they never were welcomed in here to begin with,” Bifur spoke up next.

 

“Yeah, this dining hall was for us and for us only,” Gloin huffed out.

 

Thorin thought this out, still rubbing small circles on Frodo’s back as he calmed down.

 

“I will see as to why their dining hall is unfit to eat in. Nori, that is your task as well as what you hear from within these walls of what they will say of Ara and Frodo,” Thorin calmly instructed Nori.

 

Nori puffed up with a gleam in his eyes and replied “Thank ya very much Thorin. And you look good as a father,”

 

A very dark blush appeared on his face as Gloin and Bombur nodded in agreement.

 

“Aye, pretty soon he will be out of breath,” Dwalin teased, entering the room.

 

“And where were you?” Balin asked him with a knowing gaze.

 

“To make sure no more council members destroy a room within the Royal wing. Also Oin, you have a patient with a very bad headache,” Dwalin replied and left it at that.

 

Arabella had wondered where Dwalin had gone to.

 

Oin grumbled out “After I eat. Enough excitement for one evening,”

 

A couple nods were given and they all sat down at the stone table.

 

“Why is it stone and not wood?” Frodo asked when he sat in his own chair.

 

“Because we’re rowdy, according to your mother and other races of Middle-Earth,” Thorin replied back.

 

“A wooden table would split over time,” Gloin said to the young boy.

 

“Oh. What’s for dinner?” Frodo asked looking around.

 

“A lot of meat,” Dwalin answered him.

 

It was then that Bombur came out with all of the dishes. He hadn’t seen Frodo yet, but when he did he stood there with his mouth open.

 

“Hello,” Frodo shyly greeted him.

 

“…Hello there. I’m Bombur, head chief of Erebor,” Bombur replied back, bowing deeply as he could go.

 

“You’re the cook who helped on Papa’s quest!” Frodo exclaimed excitedly.

 

“Papa? Who’s Papa?” Bombur asked him, looking at Arabella for help.

 

“I am,” Thorin stated, filling Frodo’s plate up.

 

Bombur’s face paled and then stuttered out “I-I-I am s-s-s-s-s-so s-s-s-sorry,”

 

“Bombur, it’s okay,” Arabella said noticing how he fidget “No one from here knew that I was pregnant with Frodo. But I have told him a lot about you,”

 

“You did?” Bombur asked her in awe.

 

“Yes. I told him all about you and our quest to reclaim Erebor. He wants to know what your recipes were on the quest, even though I already told him of them,” she replied smiling as her son began to eat his dinner.

 

She didn’t see it, but the whole company puffed up with pride, even Thorin had a proud smile.

 

“Well let’s eat,” Thorin had said to them all.

 

“Is this that King’s dinner, Papa?” Frodo asked him curiously.

 

“Yes it is but, it will be with all of my fine company instead of with the council,” Thorin replied gently cutting up the link sausages into smaller bites.

 

“Good, I don’t like any of the council,” Frodo said back, eating his dinner.

 

Chuckles were echoed around the room and the tone for that dinner was very, very calm. A lot calmer then Arabella had seen it and she had a feeling that the company were trying to be on their best behavior.

 

She knew, in the short future, that the council would want to know how Frodo came to be and such. That was something that she was not looking forward to at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody! Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. Appreciate them. Also, if this chapter gets confusing I’m sorry. My train of thought(s) is all over the place so, just a warning.
> 
> I tried my hardest to write this picture of Arabella’s new bed.   
> LINK: h t t p : / / wwwDOTillinois-criminaldefenseDOTcom /wp-content/uploads/2016/06 /inspiring-four-poster-canopy-bed-curtains-to-design-your-home-decorDOTjpg
> 
> Anyway, please read and review thank you,  
> Alonia143.


	5. Settling Part 2.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!
> 
> Long time for an update I know. Well that is life for you. Anyway, everything is fine with my family but, there is still some stuff that I need to do. 
> 
> How to pronounce Princess Darina’s name: Dare-een-uh. And she hails from the Firebeards dwarf clan, near the Khagal-Abbac. I’m going off of dwarf clan spread sheet that I had saved the pictures to. A lot of back story which I so love whenever Balin tells it. 
> 
> I tried to make this chapter into its own but, my kept repeating this little plot bunny no matter how many times I had to start over. I am sorry. Hope you guys like this instead of what I was trying to do. 
> 
> Anyway, please read and review, Thank you.  
> Alonia143.

**_ Chapter 5: Settling part 2. _ **

 

 

2 weeks that Arabella and Frodo had been in Erebor were peaceful.

 

Thorin went out of his way to make sure that they were feeling welcomed, safe and at ease. Arabella had expressed to Thorin that she needed some thicker clothes for her and Frodo.

 

“I will send Dori and Ori up on that. Ori wants to go over some stuff that he had discovered in the library and the abandoned rooms. They are elvish and he knows that you can easily read what that language is,” Thorin had told her.

 

“It’s not that difficult to read, but I would be glad to do it. Also, I kept over hearing, Thorin, that there is going to be a Festival soon?” Arabella asked him curiously.

 

Frodo was running around in small circles of the toy wooden dragon and bear making little sounds for them to “fly”.

 

“Aye, Frodo please come over here to listen, son,” Thorin said, though it felt weird to the King under the Mountain to say that.

 

In all of his life, he never thought that having a child of his own would happen and yet it did. And he never thought he would utter those words either.

 

Frodo trotted over as Thorin picked him up and set him on his lap as he sat down on the couch.

 

“The festival that you 2 have probably been hearing from Dori, Balin and some of the staff is about the 7 stars of Durin,” Thorn began. “They form to what all dwarves know as Durin’s Crown for they are shaped like a point. This festival lasts for 7 solid days, just like how many stars there are in the crown. We hold this festival in the spring,”

 

“Mama and I celebrate a festival in the summer,” Frodo said back.

 

Thorin looked at him, but then up at Arabella.

 

“End of the summer harvest, but that is completely different Frodo,” Arabella told him.

 

“It is? How? Why?” he asked her curiously.

 

“Because we harvest the food that was being made all spring and summer for eating during fall and winter. This festival is to thank Thorin’s fore father, your fore father, for what he had done in his long life,” Arabella answered him.

 

“You see Frodo, Durin was created by our God, Aule. Durin was one of the first to wake up and roam Middle-Earth well before you, your mother or even I was born. And I am forever thankful that he gave me you,” Thorin said, looking down at his son.

 

Frodo looked up at his papa curiously but nodded.

 

“What do you plan on doing for today?” Thorin asked Arabella as Frodo got up and went back to playing with his toys.

 

“I was thinking of showing Frodo the Door,” She said knowingly.

 

Thorin swallowed and said “Be careful while you’re in there. Gloin has done a lot within that place and even though I can’t go in there at all…”

 

“I know and I promise that we will. He’s just so curious on what actually happened, you know how curious he is,” she explained to him.

 

Thorin nodded; even though he was starting to know that his son was very curious, to her.

 

“I’ll go get Dori,” Thorin said, gently putting Frodo down and getting up.

 

Arabella watched him leave, but what caught her eye at the far end of the hallway was a council member glaring at her. She didn’t know what to have caused such hatred from the dwarf lord, but he turned on his heel and walked away.

 

“I would keep an eye out for the council members,” she heard to her left.

 

Glancing over, she saw Nori.

 

“Why? Did I do something-?”

 

“You did nothing wrong, but you have made the council members highly livid. They being quiet concerns me, Bella. They’re planning something that might just drive you from here, let alone Thorin. Change never comes so easily to us dwarves. I’m keeping my feelers out for their plot, but I cannot say what their plan is,” Nori interrupted her with a serious expression.

 

She looked into the room and asked “Are they planning to kill me or Frodo?”

 

“You probably not…” He warily replied back.

 

Arabella nodded and asked softly “Can I change rooms? Just for the night,”

 

Nori nodded and whispered low “I can see what I can find. Dwalin should be here shortly. He will be with you after I tell the King of what might be going on,”

 

They didn’t have to wait too long, Dwalin showed up and so did Dori and Thorin.

 

“Nori?” Thorin asked him in worry.

 

Nori walked over, leaned next to Thorin’s ear and started to whisper. The thoughtful expression turned into stone.

 

“Dwalin, at all times, I want you to be with Arabella and Frodo. I kind of expected something like this to happen,” Thorin growled out.

 

Dwalin nodded and whispered low “I will keep an eye on them both, Thorin,”

 

“May I ask, if there is anything that I or the company can do?” Dori asked in a low whisper too.

 

“Have Balin or one of them always with them both. I nearly lost them both once, I won’t let it happen a second time,” Thorin grumbled at them.

 

“You won’t, Thorin,” Arabella promised to him.

 

He nodded as he saw Frodo walk up to him, he bent down and picked his boy up into his arms.

 

“If things are going to get ugly, I want you to run to where your mother is going to be showing you today. This Key, I want you to have with you at all times, Frodo,” Thorin said, handing the Key to the Door to his son.

 

Frodo took it and was in awe of it.

 

“Thorin how is he going-?”

 

“I am sure that Dori can make a pocket or something for him,” Thorin reassured Bella.

 

She nodded as Dori puffed up a bit in pride.

 

“Come on my lady,” Dori said, gently ushering them both back inside the bedroom with Dwalin.

 

Thorin looked over at Nori who whispered “Talk to Balin. If we are going to battle these council members, then he will know how to beat them at their own game,”

 

He walked away as Thorin walked to wherever Balin was.

 

In the bedroom, Dori had some fabric rolls and started to take measurements.

 

“Mama? Why do they want us gone?” Frodo asked her, holding his arms out like her.

 

“Like Nori had said, Dwarves don’t like change. And when it does happen, they will fight for the old ways because that is where they feel it’s the most safest to be,” Bella answered her boy.

 

“Aye, but,” Dori said, taking the measurement of her shoulders “At times, changes are good for us, no matter how we feel about it,”

 

“Oh, then hobbits are the same,” Frodo exclaimed back.

 

“Mm?” Dori asked Arabella on this.

 

“That is true. If you’re not respectable or like the old ways such as dwarves, you’re the odd one that everyone talks about; in front of you or not,” she replied honestly on her own people.

 

Dori hummed but didn’t say anything as he got her measurements as well as Frodo’s.

 

“Alright, do you want the same clothes as your people or would you like some dwarrow clothing?” Dori asked them both.

 

“Can we get both? Also can you make Frodo’s clothes 2 sizes bigger? He’s going through a growth spurt,” Bella said back.

 

Dori nodded and smiled “Of course, though, does he need shoes?”

 

“No, thankfully, he has the sole of a hobbit,” she reassured him.

 

Dori got to work on his new orders and stated “By tonight, you will get the basics. The gowns and coats will be delivered tomorrow,”

 

The door opened as Ori poked his head inside. Dwalin had keen eyes on Ori but relaxed a bit.

 

“Hello Bella,” Ori greeted her “And Frodo. Are you ready?”

 

“Yes, we are ready. Your older brother here is making our clothes,” Bella said with pride.

 

Dori blushed but stated back “All the pleasure to get you new clothes, my queen. I will deliver them myself and also some tea that I’ve been testing out,”

 

“Oh that would be lovely!” Frodo exclaimed as that made the adults chuckle.

 

 

* * *

 

The treasure room looked very different from what Bella had remembered of it last. Neat and orderly, the coins were stacked up and the shields and cups and such were kept into the holes that Smaug had created.

 

Ori then said “Gloin and his team did most of the work here,”

 

“I can tell,” Bella said, keeping a good hold on Frodo’s hand.

 

It wasn’t that Frodo was fighting her, no. She just had very bad memories in this room and the comfort of holding her son’s hand was reassuring.

 

“The door is still in tacked,” Ori muttered low.

 

“I noticed that the doors into here are all wooden,” Bella softly murmured.

 

“Yes. Thorin ordered it before the council members and that was one argument that I’m glad you weren’t there to see. Thorin ordered them to obey his kingship or go back to the other clans,” Ori expressed with a wary sigh.

 

“Did they?” Bella asked him curiously.

 

“Some did. The rest that you see, are those same dwarves that remained, but they should’ve left anyway,” Ori said as they found the right stairway and walked up it.

 

Frodo was in between the two when they entered the long hallway back up to the door.

 

It was then that they all heard sounds of someone or more whispering in hushed voices. It echoed but, Ori, Bella and Frodo could not actually make out the words.

 

“My queen,” Ori whispered very low to her “I will tell Thorin of this, however, I highly suggest that we remain here for some time until they have passed. No one but us, are suppose to be in here. Gloin has made only 1 key to get in,”

 

Bella nodded and listened carefully.

 

_“….kill….Hobbits….”_ was what she could pick out.

 

Her hand went over her mouth as she whispered it to Ori. He paled though none of them said a word.

 

_“Darina ….perfect match….”_ She heard next and then silence.

 

“Darina? Who is Darina?” Bella asked Ori who had wide eyes now.

 

“We need to get back to your rooms,” was all Ori had to say on this.

 

Rushing them back to their rooms, Bella was confused. She wanted to know _who_ this Darina person was and _why_ was she a “ _perfect match_ ”?

 

Thankfully, when they all arrived, Thorin was there with Balin, Nori and the rest of the company.

 

Ori shut the doors and locked them as he went into Frodo’s room and shut and locked those too.

 

“Ori?” Balin asked him as he then looked at the old dwarf with terror.

 

“I need to tell you guys this and please do not interrupt me,” Ori said softly, walking towards the fireplace.

 

They all gathered confusedly around the spooked young dwarf.

 

“We were in the treasury as you well know, Thorin. However, while we were in there, we heard 2 other dwarrows as well. I highly suggest, Gloin, that you change the locks secretly. Do it during the middle of the night so that the next morning, they can’t get in because what Bella, Frodo and I heard is terrifying,” Ori expressed, he did not want to see his friends and fellow quest member killed.

 

Thorin and them all listened now. All of their attention was on Ori.

 

“Bella over heard little parts of the conversation but, the words were _“Kill hobbits. Darina perfect match”_. I do not expect you to know who Princess Darina is, Bella,” Ori gave the grave news to them all.

 

Bofur, Bombur, Bifur, Fili, Gloin, Oin, Dwalin, Balin, Nori and Dori gasped as one.

 

“Do _not_ shout in here,” Thorin ordered them all.

 

“Aye, we do not want them to know what they are planning,” Balin muttered in agreement.

 

“Can someone please tell me who this Princess is?” Bella asked them, though her patients were getting thin.

 

“Princess Darina is supposed to be married to Thorin. Arranged marriages are always associated with Royals and us dwarves are no different. I told King Thrain, that this match would not be prefect as these council members seem to think. She hails from a Lord who married into the royal family of Firebeards. They were supposed to be married but, Smaug came and Erebor was lost. The Firebeards royal family thought that their contract to Thorin was a cheap way to get their daughter or their family in general killed. So the deal was, or so we thought, off,” Balin started to tell this to her.

 

“But Uncle is better off with Aunt Bella,” Fili protested, pointing to Bella.

 

“We know, just that this happened so long ago, that the council members thought we had forgotten this. Though in some cases we have,” Nori huffed back.

 

“How could grandfather, let alone great grandfather allow this?” Fili asked, trying to figure this out. “Doesn’t it matter that Uncle has finally found his One?”

 

“I do believe Fili, that having a kingdom alley was far better, than to Thorin finding his One. I am not excusing it but, back in those days we were trying to get the clan’s on our side,” Balin replied back to him, holding up his hand mid statement.

 

“What do you mean? I thought that all of the clans were your ally or on your side?” Bella asked him confusedly.

 

“They were 2-faced about a lot of things back then. When something bad would happen… to a carven for instance, they would say that they had put guards and such with the carven but, from the dwarrows that testified, there weren’t any there to protect the carven. You couldn’t trust the dwarrow next to, in front of or even behind you back in those days. Little civil wars broke out, because of these lords and kings being 2-faced. Many dwarrows, dwarrowdams and children were lost this way. Pretty soon King Thror had found the Arkenstone and united all the dwarves,” Balin explained more.

 

“And in doing so, created an arranged marriage for uncle,” Fili huffed back.

 

“He created it because he wanted his line to succeed. It nearly failed if it weren’t for our hobbit,” Thorin corrected him, not liking this new bit of information at all.

 

“I don’t like this Thorin,” Bofur said gravely “Regardless of how your grandfather was looking out for a better succession of his line, finding your One is a million in 1 chance while being in the dark,”

 

“Balin?” Bella asked him curiously “Isn’t there something that can be done about that part of the contract?”

 

Heavily sighing as all eyes were now on him.

 

“I don’t know. I don’t know if the document was lost in the fire when Smaug came or it’s somewhere else,” Balin muttered honestly.

 

“If you have to,” Ori piped up “I will help you Balin. I can’t stand not thinking that Arabella had done all of what she did, to help us reclaim our home and the heart of our King, just to be thrown away,”

 

“There are other things that the Council can do, Ori. They can lay claim that Frodo isn’t Thorin’s and that he is a bastard, while Arabella is trying to brain wash Thorin in the due process. It has been done before, but anyone can easily see that Frodo _is_ Thorin’s son,” Balin replied back nearly snapping.

 

The others were silent. Processing all of that, into their heads.

 

“But he isn’t a bastard,” Thorin softly said, walking over to Bella and gently taking Frodo into his arms.

 

“I know laddie. But, they won’t listen or see reason. They minds are already set and now we’re just waiting for their trap to spring,” Balin uttered sadly.

 

Dwalin sighed shaking his head. Bifur was growling out between western and Khuzdul words to express his anger. Gloin and Bombur were highly upset because they know what it’s like to not have their Ones nearby. Oin was next to Dori who was glaring heavily into the fireplace.

 

“May I say something?” Nori’s voice drifted through as it caught everyone’s attention.

 

“Go ahead,” Thorin said back, giving the floor to him.

 

“Many times, during the end of the quest and the cleaning up before the battle of the five armies, I wasn’t the only one who saw you two sneaking off,” Nori said with a knowing smiling.

 

Bella blushed as Thorin kept his mouth shut.

 

“I do believe, if Kili gets here, that what I saw with him being another eye witness, will help. However, my idea will have to play out exactly into their hands,” Nori slowly explained.

 

“How?” Dori asked him confusedly.

 

“Think that seeing this princess will sweep our king off of his feet, that Arabella is nothing compared to this princess but-” before he could explain more, the whole room erupted into shouts.

 

“ENOUGH!” Thorin thundered down.

 

Silence was bliss.

 

“Thank you, Thorin. Now, before you start shouting at me, I was going to say that before that they can do that, we yank the rug,” Nori said, whispering low as his eyes were on the doors now.

 

Everyone listened as then someone had walked by.

 

Nori moved to the door and put his glass to it to listen. He motioned for Balin and Thorin to come over quickly.

 

Thorin walked over to him and pressed his ear to the glass as Nori got out another glass for Balin to hear as well.

 

“All of our plans are a go. Do you know where the king is?” they heard easily.

 

“No and that’s what concerns me. The more that he spends his time with that wench, the more she casts her spells upon him. You and I discussed that the Princess is better for him,” another voice answered.

 

“Yes. What are we going to do with the wench and her bastard son if they don’t comply?” the first voice gruffed out.

 

“Food poisoning will probably be the best way to get rid of them both,” the second voice said back.

 

“And if that doesn’t work?” the first voice asked.

 

“Then we will come up with other plans. Now, let’s go find our King,” the second voice said nearly too sweetly and walked away.

 

Balin and Thorin pulled away as all of the company had heard this now.

 

“Nori, I hope your plan works,” Thorin growled out dangerously.

 

“IF it does work out, then you will shake the ground that you walk upon Thorin,” Nori confidentially told him back.

 

Thorin sighed and looked over to Bella. She looked pale and was holding onto Frodo in her arms as he rested on her hip.

 

“Send word for my sister and nephew to come back to Erebor. At all speed. I don’t care what they will have to say, just state that the Queen is in danger,” Thorin ordered to Balin.

 

“Do not worry, Thorin,” Nori said softly “I already did that a couple of nights ago. Hopefully the letter will have reached them by now,”

 

Thorin nodded and walked over to his One and child. He wrapped his arms around them both.

 

“Fili, I want you to be with your aunt and cousin at all times. Forget your lessons for now, those can be made up for later. Family comes first,” Thorin whispered to his nephew.

 

Fili nodded and replied “I would be honored Uncle, to protect my aunt and cousin. Would it be better, for them to think that they are sleeping here but in my room instead?”

 

Thorin thought on this and then uttered “The underground escape routes,”

 

“Thorin, we don’t know if those have caved in or not,” Balin quickly told him. “Have some of the company to go in and check it out first,”

 

“I will only show this to the company and to no one else. They have done more for me than any other lord or dwarf when I asked for help. They should be the lords, not these one of the council,” Thorin growled low.

 

“Aye, at least we know what is going on,” Bofur piped up in agreement.

 

“Why don’t we do that?” Bella asked confusedly.

 

“Because we would piss nearly lord and council member off from here to the Aule’s halls,” Fili shrugged at her, not really caring if they did do that.

 

“I’ll think it over after Nori’s plan is finished. For now, Fili is correct, you need to stay from this room,” Thorin said, gently taking Frodo into his arms.

 

They all walked out of the room when Nori had gone ahead and searched for anyone. Each of the company had Bella’s clothes or things in their arms.

 

When they came to Fili’s bedroom, Nori hurried them into it and closed the door from the outside.

 

He walked calmly as he saw that one dwarf who had reason from before.

 

“Hello Nori. Have you seen Lady Arabella at all?” the lord asked him curiously.

 

“I do believe she retired for today. Her son wore her out from running from her and being a child,” Nori replied smoothly back.

 

The lord nodded and said “Very well. If you see her again, can you tell her that I would like to speak with her?”

 

“I do believe she and the king are going to be very busy. But I can pass it along,” Nori told him smiling.

 

The lord nodded and walked away.

 

When Nori heard that he was no longer in the area, he walked back to the bedroom and slipped in.

 

“Who is this lord?” Thorin hissed out.

 

“He is young, another member of the Firebeards clan. It’s very cunning on trying to distract us all with him wanting to be with our Queen,” Nori said back, not liking this at all.

 

“We have our hands full with these Firebeards,” Gloin gruffed out.

 

“Aye,” nearly all of the company agreed.

 

“What is his name, Nori?” Bella asked him as she walked over to him.

 

Frodo was in Fili’s bed.

 

“Lord Ovdin. He’s young for being a lord and I do hope that he doesn’t start courting you while the Princess is trying to get your crown, Bella,” Nori explained to her.

 

“Don’t worry, I have had suitors try to get my hand, back in Hobbiton and when I was younger; either for my home or money that my mother and father left behind for me,” She answered back.

 

“Yes, but this is not Hobbiton. This is Erebor and the dwarves here are very cunning on getting what they want,” Fili told her, knowing exactly how his kin thought.

 

She nodded and said softly “I am sorry for kicking you out of your bed,”

 

“Nah, don’t be. Besides, my hammock fits me better anyway,” Fili replied as he had set up a sheet tied to some hooks in the wall.

 

No one said anything but, one by one they all left the Prince’s bedroom. Thorin was the last to leave as he had kissed Frodo on the forehead and kissed Arabella on the lips a lot longer than normal.

 

“I will protect you from my kin,” he muttered against her sweet lips.

 

She nodded, just wanting to kiss him more and more. It was a very long time ago since their last kiss.

 

A cough was heard behind them as they pulled away to look at Fili who had a loving grin on his face.

 

“Sorry, but we _are_ trying to sleep,” he stated smoothly to them.

 

Blushes appeared on their faces as Thorin leaned down once more and kissed Bella’s lips before turning around and walking across the hallway to his bedroom.

 

“Good night Thorin,” Bella whispered to him.

 

“Good night, Ara,” he whispered back, closing his bedroom door.


	6. Arrival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!
> 
> Thank you for the favorites, follows and reviews. What you are about to read, should have been in the last chapter. I hope you guys like it.
> 
> Glordes is pronounced: glaur-dess. And the name means: Golden light young woman.
> 
> I know, I know! The age for Frodo in the one-shot and in this story here is messed up. In the one-shot Frodo is barely 1 years old so I decided to fix this. Sorry. Frodo’s real age is 2 though he acts like a 4 year old. And I’m going off when I started to walk and talk which was around 2 years old for both.
> 
> Read and review, thank you!  
> Alonia143.

**_ Chapter 6: Arrival. _ **

 

The sun was out after 3 days of non-stop rain. Bella didn’t know what to think of Erebor just yet. True it was slowly coming back to life but nowhere near it’s “glory” days.

 

The people that were out and about were all talking, creating a nice humming background sound. Things were being sold and bought, three races in just one massive super market.

 

It was also nice to have them in a triangle. Where the Elves had one corner, the Dwarves had the other and the race of Man had one too.

 

“Mama?” Frodo asked, keeping hold of her hand as it was getting crowded now.

 

“Yes Frodo?” she replied, looking around of the very bright colors and stalls.

 

“Where are we?” he asked her curiously.

 

“We’re at the D.E.M Market,” she replied to him as he looked up at her.

 

“Dem?” he said still confused.

 

“How about we go over here okay?” she told him, gently guiding him to a round fountain.

 

They walked over and sat down next to it.

 

“D.E.M. means Dale, Erebor and Mirkwood Market. For now, that is what everyone is calling it since they can’t seem to pick a rightful name for it,” she explained to her son.

 

“Oh. But why on dirt?” Frodo asked, looking confused at the ground.

 

Patiently sighing, Arabella then said “Because it was to honor those who had fallen in the Battle of the Five Armies. True, it doesn’t feel right, but no one wanted another ‘war’ per say,”

 

“Oh. May I get something to eat here?” Frodo asked, his little tummy growling in protest.

 

Arabella chuckled and then said “Yes. Now since the crowds are very thick, I want you to put that chain on okay? Just don’t want to lose you is all,”

 

He sighed and slipped the Mithril chain around his wrist as it clicked into place. Thorin had made it when he had learned that his son wanted to explore the market. Arabella clicked her end around her wrist too as they started off once more.

 

Dwalin suddenly appeared next to them, huffing and glaring at Bella mostly.

 

“Do not run away from me like that! Thorin will have my head, whenever he learns of this!” he stated to them.

 

“Sorry, Mister Dwalin,” Frodo shyly told him.

 

With a heavy sigh to calm himself down, Dwalin then replied “what would you like to see or buy?”

 

“Something for Frodo since he’s hungry,” Arabella told him, Frodo keeping close to her.

 

“Alright,” Dwalin said and guided them to where the food court was.

 

Everyone from the Man, Elves and Dwarves were very nice to Bella and Frodo.

 

“I really hope that this outfit will be alright?” Bella asked Dwalin when they bought a very beautiful dark blue boy outfit for Frodo as he munched away on his toasted hot sandwich.

 

“Arnore’s stall is very popular. You visiting and actually buying from there will add more honor to her craft,” Dwalin said low.

 

“I …” Bella tried to protest but the words faded.

 

“Thorin had announced you being Queen, 2 days ago. The people of our race are very overjoyed, though they will ask about Frodo soon,” Dwalin whispered low to her.

 

“Why did he do that?” Bella asked him, gently picking Frodo up and carrying him on her hip.

 

“Because the council members are planning to bring Princess Darina a lot sooner than what we thought. So Thorin thought that by having announced you as his Queen-”

 

“I would or could win the people over,” Bella finished as Dwalin nodded.

 

“Yes. But everyone knows the stories of you joining up on the quest, the battle here and saving not just our King but also the Princes of Erebor. Princess Darina never did any of that,” Dwalin continued to whisper low to her.

 

“Do you sense that the dwarves here think-?”

 

“That you are far better for Thorin then that Prim Princess? Yes. Many have told Thorin himself, that if the council members try and push Princess Darina onto him, they will go after the Council Members,” Dwalin interrupted her.

 

Arabella stayed silent. Over the past couple of days, she had learned that the Firebeards were a very friendly clan of dwarves. Gloin and Oin are half Durin’s folk and half Firebeards. It was one of the reasons that Arabella liked them so much.

 

Another thing she learned was that of the Royal family line of the Firebeards. Thorin’s own mother family history had a couple Firebeards and this worried Arabella greatly.

 

“Don’t worry,” Dwalin grunted low. “Thorin loves you and only you,”

 

“Then how can I go up against them?” she whispered low as they ventured into the elven are of the market.

 

Dwalin thought on this as she had them stop at a glassblower stall. The elves lurked around; looking at them curiously. Only the race of Man came to this corner of the market.

 

“Mama, can we see more of the glass work?” Frodo asked looking at the brightly colored cups, vases, statues and much other stuff.

 

“Just as long as you stick near me and not reaching over to get something,” She replied, knowing how much work went into these.

 

“Okay,” he replied and stuck close to his mother.

 

Arabella looked through the glasswork with Frodo; Dwalin hung back because he was too bulky and was truly terrified that he would break something regardless if it was elven made.

 

“Mama, may I have a garden,” Frodo said looking at one of the massive green glass jugs.

 

“That one I don’t know, Frodo. Not many people have those here,” she replied honestly to her son.

 

He nodded with a sigh.

 

“May I suggest something, Queen Arabella and Prince Frodo,” a soft light bell voice greeted them.

 

Arabella saw a woodland she-elf walking over to them, smiling softly. Frodo walked over to his mother and stuck close to her.

 

“Yes and you are?” Bella asked out of curiosity.

 

“I am Glordes, and I helped make these jars and glasswork,” she said softly.

 

“It is nice to meet you, Glordes. And what suggestion do you have for us?” Bella asked for more, curious as to what the woodland she-elf had to say.

 

“I can easily make a very big jar for your son to have plants growing within and without watering. I know that you are a hobbit but, please rest assured that there will be water within, just enough to make it ‘rain’ within the jar,” Glordes explained further.

 

“But we live in a mountain. How can it get any light?” Frodo asked her curiously.

 

Kneeling down to his height, Glordes smiled softly with “With a special crystal. They glow in the darkest of places to give off light from within,”

 

“Is it magic?” Frodo asked her curiously.

 

Glordes then said “In some small ways, yes,”

 

“Ooh,” he said with wide excited blue eyes.

 

Arabella smiled as Glordes got what they needed.

 

“How much is all of it?” Bella asked her, getting into her coin bag.

 

“Nothing, for the one who helped my king see clearly again,” Glordes told her and walked away.

 

Bella was speechless as she looked over at Dwalin who had asked for a cart to carry the massive glass bottle terrarium.

 

Bella, Frodo and Dwalin with their cart were heading back to Erebor.

 

Up a head, there was a very large crowd in the hall. Arabella didn’t understand what was going on or who it was or why the Dwarves of Erebor were nearly grabbing their weapons in sheer anger.

 

“Why don’t you leave us in peace!” they heard up ahead.

 

“This way,” Dwalin whispered and hurried them away from the scene.

 

Arabella didn’t say anything until they were in the hallways several floors up.

 

“What was that about?” she asked Dwalin, holding onto Frodo’s hand.

 

“Durin’s folk not liking the Firebeards. You will see more and more of that pretty soon,” Dwalin growled low.

 

Bella kept quiet. She knew when not to ask too many questions when the warning was blatantly there. Frodo however, was only just a child.

 

“Why do they hate the Firebeards so much?” he asked Dwalin.

 

“Because they did nothing to help us on our quest to reclaim our home, while your mother risked her life several times over and got us our home back. Says a lot to Durin’s Folk,” Dwalin answered him honestly.

 

“Oh. But do their beards really have fire in them?” Frodo asked curiously.

 

Chuckling low Dwalin then replied “No laddie. It is how the beard looks. Bright ginger, flame red,”

 

“Oh. Well that stinks. It would have been amazing to have seen that,” Frodo huffed, glaring at the floor.

 

It only made the adults chuckle more. Only kids could be that honest and blunt.

 

Dwalin showed them to their room as Frodo was unlocked from his wrist clasp and ran over to his toys.

 

“I’ll be outside the door. Thorin told me to keep to you two. He will have to deal with what is to come,” Dwalin muttered low to Arabella.

 

“Alright. Do you suppose that a meal or snack could be brought up?” she asked him back.

 

“I think you are supposed to change out of your clothes there and get into some that are left from Dori. Having lunch with Royal family of the Firebeards,” Dwalin stated, trying to remember what Thorin had told him.

 

“Right, we’ll be out when we’re finished,” She answered and softly closed the door.

 

Arabella walked over and saw the new clothes. She picked out the dark blue dress out with matching color one for Frodo.

 

“Frodo, bath time,” she called out.

 

“Aaawe, but Mama!” he protested.

 

“Come on,” she said nicely, gently helping him over to the bathroom.

 

He grumbled low, but getting into the massive spring pool. Arabella took out the bar of soap that they had bought in the market and used it on Frodo.

 

When she spotted a large basket, full of different items for taking a bath, her nose twitch to the overly flowery herb smell of it. The gold flowers and over the top bath salts and other toiletry stuff made her not use it. Mostly with the gold flowers.

 

Frodo was dunking under the water and popping back up, giggling. Washing his hair with the normal shampoo and conditioner. When Frodo was all cleaned, Arabella got him dressed into his new clothes.

 

“Mama, these are big!” he exclaimed as the sleeves of his shirt came down to his lower forearms.

 

“Of course they are. I asked Dori to make them that big so that you can grow into them. Now, would you like me to brush your hair or would you like to do it?” she replied holding up his new hair brush.

 

“I would like to do it,” he said, gently taking it and started to brush out his damp curly hair.

 

“Alright. I’ll be washing up myself okay?” she told him as he nodded.

 

Arabella walked into the bathroom, got undressed and used the same bar of soap from the market. Sticking close to the edge, she didn’t trust how deep the spring was. Knowing how hobbits could drown from not learning how to swim and such.

 

She got out, dried herself off and then wrapped her multi patched and color bathrobe around her. She checked on Frodo who was playing instead of brushing his hair out.

 

Sighing heavily, she picked up the dark blue dress and got changed in the bathroom. While she was in there, she grabbed the basket of soaps.

 

“From Princess Darina,” She muttered to herself.

 

Arabella walked out with the basket and her dress half button up from the waist upwards.

 

“Frodo, do you think you could help Mama out with her clothes?” she asked him curiously.

 

“Sure!” he replied, trotting over and gently helping slipping the buttons into place after she knelt down for him.

 

She turned around as Frodo looked at her in awe.

 

“You look beautiful, mama!” Frodo told her.

 

A swift blush spread across her face.

 

“Aye, you do,” a deep rumbling came from the doors.

 

“Papa!” Frodo stated as he rushed over to him.

 

Picking Frodo up and sitting him on his hip, Thorin smiled at them both.

 

“You two ready?” he asked looking at Frodo’s hair.

 

“No. Frodo didn’t brush his hair like he said he would. Also could you get Nori to check these out? I found them when we came back,” Bella replied as Frodo ducked his head a bit.

 

Thorin gently took the brush and started to brush out the knots from his boy’s hair. It only took several minutes to get his hair brushed out.

 

Thorin then looked at the basket and said “Ara, those are from the Firebeards as a ‘thank you’ gift,”

 

“Thorin, it has _gold flowers_ in it. Along with other metals that could harm Frodo or you. I’m not going through that again,” she snapped at him.

 

Thorin heavily sighed because he knew that she was right. Handling of any kind of jewels or wealth or anything of that nature belonged solely to Gloin.

 

“Come on,” Thorin told her as he gently took her hand into his.

 

Arabella was trying to have an open mind on these Firebeards but, flashes of when Thorin was under not just the Dragon sickness, but also the Gold Sickness with that of the Arkenstone search. She shook her head and continued to walk to the dining hall.

 

When they were announced and when they had entered, everyone was staring in the quiet hall.

 

Frodo was set down, but clung to his mother’s side. He was very shy in front of a big crowd.

 

“Welcome to Erebor,” Thorin began for all of them to hear “Please eat, drink and I hope that today is blessed for you all by Mahal,”

 

That seemed to break the silence as the dwarves soon started to murmur with one another.

 

Thorin lead his family to the head of the table and held out a chair for Arabella. She sat down as she was gently pushed in.

 

“Hello Aunt Bella,” Fili greeted her bowing out of respect.

 

“Hello Fili, though I’m not your aunt,” she corrected him.

 

“Not yet, at least,” he said smiling, which got some of the council members glaring at him.

 

“Uncle Fili!” Frodo exclaimed happily.

 

“Ah! There is my favorite nephew!” Fili said, walking over to him and picking him up.

 

Frodo giggled with “I got new clothes!”

 

“I see. A little big, but you’ll grow into them,” Fili replied as he took Frodo’s seat.

 

“Why does everyone say that, when they are too big?” Frodo asked him curiously, pouting a bit.

 

They continued their conversation as the council members seemed to move stiffly around.

 

When the doors opened up, no one paid any attention as to who had entered, even though that they should have.

 

“May I present, Princess Darina,” one council member said nearly too proudly and loud.

 

Arabella watched as Thorin greeted the princess. She wore a very nice dark red and black dress. Her jewelry glittered in the firelight as it didn’t seem too much or little.

 

Princess Darina curtsied to Thorin and replied soothingly “Hello King Thorin,”

 

“Princess Darina,” he greeted her back “How were your travels here?”

 

“They were fine, my majesty,” she replied back, smiling shyly.

 

“May I introduce to you, my One and the mother of my son, Arabella Baggins,” Thorin said, introducing them to each other.

 

“Hello, Arabella Baggins?” Princess Darina greeted her, a bit shocked.

 

“Hello, Princess Darina,” Arabella replied back.

 

“I hope you liked my gift,” Princess Darina said to her, unsure of how to take in this plain being.

 

“I didn’t, since it had gold and other metals within it. Thorin is still recovering from his sicknesses when we reclaimed Erebor from Smaug. I do hope you will not repeat this action in the future?” Arabella honestly told this dwarrowdam.

 

“O-of course not,” Princess Darina stuttered, with a low curtsey to her.

 

“Why are you trying to tear my mama and papa apart?” Frodo asked Princess Darina.

 

“Frodo,” Arabella softly scolded him.

 

Princess Darina however just replied “I’m not. I hope you won’t see me as a bad person here, Prince Frodo,”

 

“You already are,” Frodo huffed back.

 

“Frodo!” both his parents snapped at him.

 

He ducked his head a little but, the heated gaze that he fixed Princess Darina with was a threatening one.

 

Some of the company however, had to hide their smiles or small coughs in their food and drinks. That was a child for you.

 

“Frodo, how about you sit next to me,” Fili suggested, a small smirk was there.

 

“But…” Frodo tried to protest but was lifted from his spot.

 

“Exactly how old is he?” Princess Darina asked Arabella softly.

 

“He was born several months after we reclaimed Erebor,” Thorin answered, guarding his son’s age.

 

“Oh. I bet the kingdom has rejoiced in that,” Princess Darina replied and dropped the subject.

 

“How are things in Khagal-Abbac?” Balin asked her, gently taking her seat out.

 

She sat and replied “Everything is running smoothly. Prince Kili and Lady Dis are most helpful when it comes to the meetings and trade,”

 

Thorin looked at her and asked “How are my sister and other nephew?”

 

“Remember when, Kili tricked Arabella into going after those trolls on the quest?” Nori brought up as the others laughed at this.

 

Their laughter rung loudly in agreement, drowning out what response Princess Darina was going to say.

 

“Will any of you show any respect towards the”

 

“We are, we are. Hold your skirts will you?” Fili interrupted him, waving him off.

 

“Aye, I remember how quick witted Arabella was, tricking them into thinking that we had _worms in our tubes_ ,” Gloin agreed with the others.

 

Loud robust laughter filled the hall then.

 

Arabella was looking directly at Thorin on how to calm their friends and comrades down.

 

“You mean, you were held by trolls?” Princess Darina asked Thorin in utter surprise.

 

“Aye. It was only Arabella, My One, to have thought to buy us all some time until dawn came,” Thorin said, gently taking Arabella’s hand into his with a soft kiss on top.

 

 “And Gandalf showing up to split that rock in two to shine the sun’s rays onto the trolls,” Bofur chipped in.

 

“And turning them all to stone,” Fili finished, holding up a pint of ale up.

 

“Aye!” the company said, clinking their pints together.

 

Arabella just shook her head at the company present as Bombur came out with the food for lunch. It was during this time, that many of the council members were silent.

 

It was truly odd to see them this silent when they wanted Arabella and Frodo, out of Erebor for good. Thorin noticed this just like Balin did.

 

“Princess Darina, may I ask, where is your father, King Darias?” Balin asked her politely.

 

“He is doing well,” She said softly.

 

“Didn’t he travel with you?” Thorin asked her, knowing how dangerous it would be to travel Middle-Earth alone.

 

“He did but he is resting right now,” she replied back.

 

_‘That is odd since the dwarrow guard their women and children so fiercely,’_ Arabella thought to herself.

 

Thorin nodded and let it go as did Balin and Nori.

 

They all began to eat their lunch.

 

“What is with all of the green food?” one of the council members snarled.

 

“We’re not feeding the elves! Take those horrid things back!” another chimed in too.

 

“HEY! THOSE ARE MINE!” Frodo shrieked and took his plate back from one of the servers.

 

“Sorry, council members, but my son and my One are hobbits. They eat a healthy balance of green food and meat. They are good if cooked right,” Thorin said, taking a carrot from one of the plates and taking a bite out of it.

 

The council members gasped as one as they have never seen Thorin act like this at all. Frodo nodded and ate his vegetables too, smiling proudly.

 

Arabella on the other hand was worried about what could come out of this. She could easily see the wheels turning within one of their minds.

 

“Do uh…hobbits…eat green food often?” Princess Darina asked either Thorin or Arabella.

 

“With every 6 or 7 meals we do,” Arabella replied back, eating her salad slowly.

 

Murmurs could be heard from the council members as then Lunch was over with. Most of them walked away, other lingered but only talked to one other.

 

“Don’t rude!” Frodo huffed at one of them.

 

“Frodo,” Arabella said “If they want to be rude, they can be. Though I do agree, it is shameful to do so,”

 

The pair glared at them and walked out of the dining hall.

 

Princess Darina was walking out too, more like being rushed out with the council members hovering around her.

 

“Thank you my king and queen,” she said smiling at them both, curtsying.

 

Some council members paled at what she was doing.

 

“Princess, come along. You have had a tiring trip here,” one of them said, hurrying her out of the dining hall.

 

When the doors closed, heavy silence filled it from the company.

 

“What was that all about Uncle?” Fili asked Thorin.

 

“Trying to get Princess Darina where Arabella is. Let alone dismiss the fact that Frodo is my son hidden,” Thorin growled low.

 

“I didn’t pick up anything except the looks, Thorin,” Nori stated to him, glaring at the doors.

 

“Than what can we do to stop this?” Arabella asked, leaning against her chair.

 

Thorin thought and said slowly “I know that you like to be on your own, Frodo, but for your own safety even within these halls and walls of Erebor, I want you to have that chain put on you at all times,”

 

“But? Papa!”  Frodo protested confused.

 

“Aye, laddie, your father has a point,” Balin stepped in smiling softly at him. “If one of them gets a hold of you and we search and search and can’t find you, they say someone from Hobbiton had done it, even though that there are no other hobbits here,”

 

“Oh,” Frodo then said, nibbling on some honey and oat bread.

 

“It’s for your own safety, Frodo. I love you a lot,” Thorin told his son.

 

“And mama? Do you love her?” Frodo asked like all children do.

 

Sputtering and looking at Arabella for help, he stuttered “Y-y-yes. Of c-c-course I …I love your …mother,”

 

“Say it,” Frodo challenged his father.

 

The company were watching and hiding their mirth at what their king’s son was doing.

 

Arabella would laugh about this later; it was nice to see Thorin squirm on this subject.

 

“I…I…I…” Thorin barely uttered, trying to get the words out.

 

He took a drink from his ale and then heavily sighed. He had to calm down because the panicking wasn’t helping him at all.

 

“I love you Arabella,” Thorin stated much strongly.

 

“I love you too, Thorin,” She smoothly replied back.

 

Frodo smiled and held up his small cup with “Here, here!”

 

The company then busted up with howling laughter at their new prince.

 

Thorin and Arabella blushed heavily at their well played son’s trick.

 

Fili picked Frodo up and started singing a happy tune. Pretty soon all of the company took out their music and started to have a good time, like it should.

 

Thorin leaned over and whispered low into Arabella’s ear “We will get him back for this. I do love you though,”

 

“I know, I know. Just wish at times you could show it more,” she whispered back to him.

 

Thorin pulled back and stared at her. The pain in his clear deep blue eyes echoed.

 

When everyone had a much better time with lunch, they all left smiling and feeling much happier than before.

 

“It is a disgrace on what she is doing to our king,” one council member said from a hidden lower hall.

 

“Aye. She is a witch. Look how happy that our kin are,” another snarled low.

 

“You get to Arabella and get her into your bed. State that Frodo is yours and that we can”

 

“Don’t worry, I will,” Lord Ovdin interrupted, gazing up at the King and Queen with their son swinging between them.


End file.
